A case study in identifying acceptable bitrates for human face recognition tasks

Face recognition from images or video footage requires a certain level of recorded image quality. This paper derives acceptable bitrates (relating to levels of compression and consequently quality) of footage with human faces, using an industry implementation of the standard H.264/MPEG-4 AVC and the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) recording systems on London buses. The London buses application is utilized as a case study for setting up a methodology and implementing suitable data analysis for face recognition from recorded footage, which has been degraded by compression. The majority of CCTV recorders on buses use a proprietary format based on the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video coding standard, exploiting both spatial and temporal redundancy. Low bitrates are favored in the CCTV industry for saving storage and transmission bandwidth, but they compromise the image usefulness of the recorded imagery. In this context, usefulness is determined by the presence of enough facial information remaining in the compressed image to allow a specialist to recognize a person. The investigation includes four steps: (1) Development of a video dataset representative of typical CCTV bus scenarios. (2) Selection and grouping of video scenes based on local (facial) and global (entire scene) content properties. (3) Psychophysical investigations to identify the key scenes, which are most affected by compression, using an industry implementation of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC. (4) Testing of CCTV recording systems on buses with the key scenes and further psychophysical investigations. The results showed a dependency upon scene content properties. Very dark scenes and scenes with high levels of spatial–temporal busyness were the most challenging to compress, requiring higher bitrates to maintain useful information

What is a Cool-Core Cluster? A Detailed Analysis of the Cores of the X-ray Flux-Limited HIFLUGCS Cluster Sample

We use the largest complete sample of 64 galaxy clusters (HIghest X-ray FLUx Galaxy Cluster Sample) with available high-quality X-ray data from Chandra, and apply 16 cool-core diagnostics to them, some of them new. We also correlate optical properties of brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) with X-ray properties. To segregate cool core and non-cool-core clusters, we find that central cooling time, t_cool, is the best parameter for low redshift clusters with high quality data, and that cuspiness is the best parameter for high redshift clusters. 72% of clusters in our sample have a cool core (t_cool < 7.7 h_{71}^{-1/2} Gyr) and 44% have strong cool cores (t_cool <1.0 h_{71}^{-1/2} Gyr). For the first time we show quantitatively that the discrepancy in classical and spectroscopic mass deposition rates can not be explained with a recent formation of the cool cores, demonstrating the need for a heating mechanism to explain the cooling flow problem. [Abridged]Comment: 45 pages, 19 figures, 7 tables. Accepted for publication in A&A. Contact Person: Rupal Mittal ([email protected]

Immunity against Ixodes scapularis Salivary Proteins Expressed within 24 Hours of Attachment Thwarts Tick Feeding and Impairs Borrelia Transmission

In North America, the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis, an obligate haematophagus arthropod, is a vector of several human pathogens including Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease agent. In this report, we show that the tick salivary gland transcriptome and proteome is dynamic and changes during the process of engorgement. We demonstrate, using a guinea pig model of I. scapularis feeding and B. burgdorferi transmission, that immunity directed against salivary proteins expressed in the first 24 h of tick attachment — and not later — is sufficient to evoke all the hallmarks of acquired tick-immunity, to thwart tick feeding and also to impair Borrelia transmission. Defining this subset of proteins will promote a mechanistic understanding of novel I. scapularis proteins critical for the initiation of tick feeding and for Borrelia transmission

A comparison of dissociative experiences in adult female outpatients with and without histories of early incestuous abuse

p. 193-199The critical role of early incestuous abuse in the development of high levels ofdissociative symptoms has been suggested. The present study examines the reliability and validity of the Dissociative Experiences Scale for use with an outpatient population and compares the frequency of dissociative experiences in adult female outpatients with and without histories of early incestuous abuse. The Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) and a Background Information Questionnaire (BIQ) were administered to a sample of 84 adult female outpatients from four diagnostic categories: Affective Disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Panic Disorder, and Schizophrenia. Cronbach's alpha within each diagnostic category (range .88 - .94) indicated good internal consistency for the DES with this sample. The Kruskal Wallis analysis, x2 = 8.49 (N = 84, df= 3, p < .05), demonstrated support for criterion-related validity of the DES by indicating a significant difference among diagnostic categories. Ryan's procedure demonstrated a distinction between Affective Disorder and PTSD and between Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia (p < .01). Forty-four % (N = 37) of the subjects reported incestuous abuse before 16 years of age. Seventy-one % (N = 60) reported sexual or physical abuse, rape, or assault, at some time during their lives. Subjects with histories of early incestuous abuse scored significantly higher, X2 = 10.79 (N = 84, df=1, p < .001), on the DES than those who reported no history of early incestuous abuse. When matched on diagnostic category and age, DES scores remained significantly higher, x2 = 5.00 (N = 20, df = 1, p < .01), in the subjects with histories of early incestuous abuse than in those without such histories. The results of the present study support the need for exploration of dissociative symptoms in incest survivors

Help-seeking decisions among college students: the impact of mental health service affordability

Recent statistics indicate that approximately 40% of students enrolled on U.S. college and university campuses report experiencing at least 1 mental health problem in the previous 12 months. Despite the documented benefits of counseling and mental health services on academic performance and degree attainment, only about 10% of mentally and emotionally distressed students ever seek professional help. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to gain a better understanding of why, among college students experiencing similar types of mental and emotional distress, some seek help, whereas most do not. For this study, 2 samples of students were recruited from 1 large, research university campus. The first was a clinical sample and consisted of distressed students who were attending a first screening appointment at the university's counseling center. The second was a random sample of students from the general student population who demonstrated levels of distress similar to the first sample, but who had chosen not to seek professional help. Participants in both samples completed 4 study instruments used for collecting demographic data, as well as data pertaining to help-seeking attitudes, help-seeking behaviors, treatment barriers, types of distress, and levels of distress. Data from both groups were combined to examine what variables contribute to the prediction of who, among similarly distressed college students, chooses to seek professional help and who does not. Of particular interest was the role that treatment barriers related to the affordability, availability, accessibility, and acceptability of mental health services might play in distinguishing help-seekers from non-help-seekers. A binary logistic regression model revealed that treatment-related barriers associated with cost of services, not knowing what services are available, and stigma were found to be significant predictors of help-seeking behavior. Among person-related barriers, measures of depression, generalized anxiety, eating concerns, and substance use were found to be significant predictors of help-seeking behavior. Another person-related barrier, help-seeking attitude, was found to be a significant predictor, but showed a lower rate of accuracy in predicting help-seeking behavior than the other significant predictors. A discussion of these findings is presented, along with associated implications for college campus stakeholders and directions for further research. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Implementation of features of the ASCA National Model in Alabama public schools

The publication of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model (2003, 2005, 2012) revolutionized school counseling by offering a foundational blueprint for unification and national support affirming a new vision for school counseling. The ASCA National Model is a developmental, comprehensive, data-driven plan that links school counselors and standards-based education reform to deliver a comprehensive school counseling program. This study utilized a stratified random sample of 159 subjects (53 in each school level) selected to proportionally represent the free-reduced lunch quartiles of Alabama public schools. The research examined the extent of implementation of the ASCA National Model in Alabama public schools across all grade levels - elementary (PreK- Grade 5), middle (Grades 6-8), and high -school (Grades 9-12), as well as data use. Qualtrics software sent electronic surveys, reminders, and analyzed responses of a stratified random sample of Alabama public school counselors. This study was the first in Alabama to use the School Counseling Program Implementation Survey (SCPIS; Elsner & Carey, 2005; Clemens, Carey, & Harrington, 2010) which is endorsed by the Center for School Counseling Research and Evaluation (CSCORE, 2013) of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and the National Panel for Evidence-Based School Counseling. This research potentially offered timely evidence to facilitate the ongoing Alabama State Board initiative, Plan 2020, created to prepare all students to be successful in college and/or career upon graduation from high school. Results revealed informative demographic and related information as well as interesting comparisons with ASCA National Standard guidelines. However, the ANOVA procedures and the Kruskal-Wallis nonparametic test did not indicate statistically significant differences in the implementation of the ASCA National Model or data use by the levels of Alabama public school counselors using the three factor SCPIS analysis. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Living on the down low: stories from African American men

This study examined the lived experiences of African American men who publicly identified as heterosexual, but privately engaged in intimate relationships with other men. These men are identified by several terminologies including Down Low (DL) and men who have sex with men (MSM). Seven men participated in the study which consisted of three audiotaped phone interviews over the course of three months. One of the participants withdrew from the study before his last interview. The participants identified themselves as being African American, over the age of 19, and having lived, or are currently living, on the DL. The participants were interviewed about their experiences including family of origin beliefs about people who were gay, influences in the African American community that shaped their sexual identity construction, their lives on the DL, mental health issues that they may have experienced, and disclosure and non-disclosure of their sexual identity. Phenomenological research methodswere used to collect and analyze and data along with the theoretical methodological framework of Critical Race Theory (CRT), which was used as a tool to identify how factors of race, gender, and sexuality play roles in the construction of African American DL and MSM. QSR NVIVO qualitative research software was also used to code categories and identify relationships that resulted from coding the transcripts. Themes that resulted from the data analysis included how the African American family and community (including the church) influenced the construction of sexual identity of African American men. Other themes included masculinity, mental health issues and the issue of disclosure and non disclosure of sexual identity among African American DL and MSM. The CRT concept of counterstories allowed the men to discuss pivotal stories that marked a defining moment in their lived experiences. Research is still needed to further explore sexual behavior of African Americans. Counselors and mental health providers are encouraged to educate themselves about the sexual identity construction of African Americans, and how factors in the African American family and community continue to shape the sexual identity of its members. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Bibliotherapy: an examination of school counselors' attitudes and use

Bibliotherapy has been shown to be a natural, appropriate tool for school counselors, supporting both student therapeutic concerns, as well as the academic goals of the setting. However, no prior research was identified that examined counselors' attitudes toward bibliotherapy or their use of bibliotherapy as a counseling technique in the schools. This study proposed to determine (a) if school counselors differed in their use of or attitudes toward bibliotherapy when compared by student and counselor characteristics, and (b) if selected student and counselor characteristics predicted the counselors' use of or attitudes toward bibliotherapy. The data were collected using an instrument developed for this study, the Attitudes Toward Bibliotherapy Scale. Participants were members of the Alabama School Counseling Association (ALSCA). Of the 870 packets that were mailed to members, 250 usable surveys were returned. The results indicated that counselors' use of bibliotherapy, as well as their attitudes toward bibliotherapy, differed significantly on one variable: predominant gender of the students served. Only one variable was found to significantly predict the counselors' use of bibliotherapy: the average age of the children served. Finally, two variables were found to significantly predict the counselors' attitudes toward bibliotherapy: (a) the average age of the children served, and (b) the number of continuing education activities related to bibliotherapy in which the counselors participated in the past 12 months. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries