Identifying Abusive Videos By Detecting And Removing Video Overlay Content

Disclosed herein is an improved mechanism for identifying abusive videos by detecting and removing video overlay content. The mechanism can begin by detecting whether an overlay is present within multiple frames of a video. For example, the mechanism can detect the presence of an overlay by determining gradients between multiple frames of a video and can estimate that the overlay that has been applied to one or more frames of the video based on a median of the determined gradients. For the frames of the video, the mechanism can then remove the overlay from the frames of the video. For example, the mechanism can estimate a clean frame of the video in a gradient-space by subtracting the estimated overlay from an original frame of the video. In continuing this example, the mechanism can then reconstruct a clean image corresponding to the estimated clean frame of the video in gradient-space. Upon obtaining the reconstructed clean image in which the overlay has been removed, the mechanism can apply a classifier to the reconstructed clean image to determine whether abusive content may be present in the reconstructed clean image

Money, self-focus, and politics

This paper-based dissertation is structured in two parts. A synopsis provides a theoretical frame, summarizes the empirical findings, and connects and embeds them into the literature. The second part consists of the empirical findings reported in four articles as appendices A to D. Because the articles were written for publication and changed due to various suggestions of reviewers and editors, each of the articles form independent reports that may have content- related redundancies (overlaps) and excursions that might not directly relate to the topic of this dissertation. Especially our third report (Appendix C) was written to a broad audience and with a broader implication and therefore entails examples from other fields and a large theoretical part. The synopsis starts with an overview on priming in social psychology in order to point out the historical development of the field and the challenges that it faces nowadays. This overview is intended to demonstrate the general state of the field and to show that money priming - as one field of priming in social psychology – faces similar challenges as the field in general. The overview on priming is followed by an overview on money priming, its proposed underlying mechanisms and recent critiques. I then follow with a description of some initial studies (not reported in greater detail) to show how this led me to my research program. To introduce my research I also explain in more detail the research by Caruso, Vohs, Baxter, and Waytz (2013), because the incoherencies of this paper inspired the research that resulted in my three subsequent articles (Appendix A-C). A description of the key findings of the studies (see below) together with some comments, conclusions, and implications for the field that did not necessarily make their way into the respective articles, form the main part of this synopsis. I end with a general discussion that connects the individual findings and articulates implications of this research for the field. VIIThe second part consists of eleven studies that are reported in more detail. The first three studies deal with the subjective standing in the social hierarchy as an important moderator for effects of money priming (Appendix A). Then, a meta-analysis of seven studies that tests whether money primes change political views is reported. It reveals tentative evidence that the subjective standing in the social hierarchy moderates this effect as well (Appendix B). Appendix C is a theoretical paper on non-significant replications in which an exploratory study with German psychology students indicates that they tend to overinterpret the evidence of non-significant replications. Appendix D is a preregistered report that entails a pilot study. Here we describe a specific preregistered study, which we propose in order to test whether money primes affect the self-focus of a person or not

Average-case intractability vs. worst-case intractability

AbstractWe show that not all sets in NP (or other levels of the polynomial-time hierarchy) have efficient average-case algorithms unless the Arthur-Merlin classes MA and AM can be derandomized to NP and various subclasses of P/poly collapse to P. Furthermore, other complexity classes like P(PP) and PSPACE are shown to be intractable on average unless they are easy in the worst case

The effect of money priming on self-focus in the imitation-inhibition task : a registered report

The self-sufficiency hypothesis suggests that priming individuals with money makes them focus more strongly on themselves than on others. However, recently, research supporting this claim has been heavily criticized and some attempts to replicate have failed. A reason for the inconsistent findings in the field may lay in the common use of explicit measures, because they tend to rely on one or just a few items and are thus prone to demand effects and low reliability. In the present research, we administered, in two experiments, the imitation-inhibition task – a robust, unobtrusive, and reliable paradigm that is sensitive to self-other focus on a trial-by-trial basis. A pilot study found an increased focus on the self as compared to others when primed with money. Building on this finding, a preregistered high-powered experiment replicated this effect, suggesting that money primes may indeed increase a focus on the self. An additionally carried out meta-analysis indicates that automatic imitation is modulated by self-other focus and that money primes lead to a smaller focus on the self than conventional methods. Overall, the found effects are rather small and several limitations, such as order effects, call for a cautious interpretation of the findings

An analytical framework for soil degradation, farming practices, institutions and policy responses

There is a lack of knowledge about the effectiveness and efficiency of soil conservation policies in agriculture and little understanding of how policy measures should be designed to encourage farmers to adopt soil conservation practices. This paper analyzes institutional settings surrounding agricultural soil management in ten European countries based on the Institutions of Sustainability framework. This framework considers the interdependencies between ecological and social systems, taking into account environmental conditions, farming practices impacting on soil conservation, different types of actors, policies, institutions and governance structures. The purpose of this paper is to describe the analytical framework and the methodology that all case studies are based on, present and discuss compared findings, outline implications for successful soil conservation policy, and draw conclusions on the methodological approach. The case studies focused on the main soil degradation types occurring across Europe which are addressed by a broad range of mandatory and incentive policies. The findings highlight the following issues: i) the need to design policies that target the locally most common soil threats and processes in the light of agricultural management; ii) the need to take farming management constraints into consideration, (iii) the need for good communication and cooperation both between agricultural and environmental authorities as well as between governmental and non-governmental stakeholders; iv) the necessary mix of mandatory and incentive instruments; and v) the need for data and monitoring systems allowing the evaluation of the effectiveness of policies and soil conservation practices.Institutional analysis, soil degradation, soil conservation policy, soil conservation measures, farming practices, policy evaluation, Farm Management,

An economic analysis of the implementation options of soil conservation policies

The objective of this study is to analyze the economic and agricultural aspects of the implementation of soil conservation programmes and to suggest appropriate measure-instrument combinations for efficient soil conservation as a decision support for the implementation of soil conservation policies. Emphasis is given to the resource and institutional economics of soil conservation. In the empirical part, the efficiency of policy options is analysed using the example of a region in north-eastern Germany based on model calculations. After an introduction to the topic of soil functions and soil degradation definitions, the implementation concepts for soil protection measures at the international and national level are described. Based on the theoretical economic analysis of soils as a natural resource, the existing property rights, the public good characteristics of soils and the resulting externalities lead to the conclusion that market failure does exist. Therefore, the non-market coordination of soil use is justified. A cost-effectiveness analysis was derived based on the theory of ?safe-minimum-standard? for the appropriate assessment of the implementation options of soil conservation policies. A fuzzy-logic-based method, which is based on an expanded Universal Soil Loss Equation approach (USLE), was applied for the assessment of soil erosion risk in the sample region. The approach considers both the natural conditions and the characteristics of the cropping practice. The very detailed description of the cropping practices allowed for the specific assessment of erosion relevant effects. This, in combination with the high detail site descriptions provided this study with a very precise regional approach. The regional decision-support system MODAM (multi-objective decision support tool for agro-ecosystem management) was applied for the assessment of the economic and environmental impacts of different policy options. The policy scenarios examined include a CAP reform scenario with decoupled payments in accordance with the proposed conditions of the year 2013. This scenario was used as the reference scenario for the other possible scenarios of soil conservation policies. The three main scenarios for the policy options are 1) a non-spatially oriented, 2) a spatially-oriented incentive programmes for reduced tillage practices and 3) a regulation scenario that prohibits the cultivation of highly erosive crops (row crops) on erodible soils. The prohibition of row crops on highly erodible soils led both to lower on-farm costs and lower budget costs in comparison to the incentive programmes for reduced tillage. All three scenarios had comparable reduction in soil erosion. Based on the modeling results the ban on row crops on highly erodible sites is therefore the preferable option in terms of the cost-effectiveness ratio. The inclusion of transaction costs in this study helps expand the scope of policy analysis, for the total costs of a policy would be underestimated if only the budget costs for the direct payments to farmers were considered. Transaction costs understood as a cost for the (re-) definition and implementation of property rights can reach substantial amounts and reduce the total efficiency of a policy. The results of the qualitative analysis of the transaction costs of the study policy options also supported the option of row crop regulation on highly erodible soils. A model that serves as decision support for both the economic and agricultural aspects of soil conservation had been successfully developed in this study. Different policy options were analysed for a cost-effective solution of soil conservation programmes. Based on the final discussion on the involved transaction costs, the regulatory approach (a spatially-focussed ban on row crops) was shown to be the most cost-effective option with potentially lower transaction costs. The main criteria for a cost-effective policy design are high efficiency in both the agricultural measures (practices) and the spatial correlation between the programme area and the high erosion risk areas. Incentive programmes in combination with less effective agricultural practices showed a worse cost-benefit ratio for the sample area than the regulation approach, which is based on more effective agricultural practices.Ziel dieser Studie ist es, die ökonomischen und landwirtschaftlichen Aspekte der Implementierung von Bodenschutzprogrammen zu analysieren sowie geeignete Instrument-Maßnahmen-Kombinationen für einen effizienten Bodenschutz als Entscheidungshilfe für die Umsetzung von Bodenschutz-Politiken vorzuschlagen. Der Schwerpunkt der Arbeit liegt dabei auf einer ressourcen- und institutionenökonomischen Betrachtung. In einem empirischen Teil wird am Beispiel einer Region in Nordostdeutschland auf der Basis von Modellrechnungen die Effizienz einzelner Politikoptionen untersucht. Nach einer einleitenden Hinführung zum Thema über die Funktionen des Bodens und Definitionen der Bodendegradation werden Implementierungskonzepte für Bodenschutzmaßnahmen auf internationaler und nationaler Ebene vorgestellt. Auf der Grundlage einer theoriebasierten ökonomischen Analyse werden Böden als natürliche Ressource definiert, die aufgrund der bestehenden Eigentumsrechte, den Eigenschaften von Böden als öffentlichem Gut sowie den daraus resultierenden Externalitäten den Schluss zulassen, dass ein Marktversagen bei der Steuerung einer nachhaltigen Nutzung von Böden vorliegt. Eine nicht-marktgestützte Koordinierung der Bodennutzung erscheint daher gerechtfertigt. Basierend auf der Theorie des "Safe-Minimum-Standards" wird eine Kosten-Wirksamkeits-Analyse abgeleitet, die für eine Beurteilung der Umsetzung von Bodenschutzpolitiken geeignet ist. Zur Abschätzung des Bodenerosionsrisikos in einer Beispielsregion kommt eine Fuzzy-Logik-basierte Methode zur Anwendung, die auf einem erweiterten Universal Soil Loss Equation-Ansatz (USLE) basiert. Dieser Ansatz berücksichtigt sowohl die natürlichen Standort-Bedingungen als auch die Eigenschaften der landwirtschaftlichen Anbauverfahren. Eine sehr detaillierte Beschreibung der Anbauverfahren erlaubt eine spezifische Beurteilung der erosionsrelevanten Effekte. Dies in Kombination mit dem hohen Detaillierungsgrad für die Standort-Beschreibung bietet eine für einen regionalen Ansatz große Genauigkeit. Das regionalisierte Entscheidungsunterstützungssystem MODAM (Multi-objective decision support tool for agro-ecosystem management) wurde für die Beurteilung der ökonomischen und ökologischen Auswirkungen unterschiedlicher Politikoptionen verwendet. Die untersuchten Politikszenarien umfassen ein GAP-Reform-Szenario mit entkoppelten Zahlungen entsprechend den geplanten Bedingungen des Jahres 2013, welches als Referenzszenario für die Szenarien zu möglichen Bodenschutzpolitiken dient. Die drei Hauptszenarien zu den Politikoptionen sind 1) räumlich nicht gerichtete, 2) räumlich gerichtete Anreizprogramme für Anbauverfahren mit reduzierter Bodenbearbeitung sowie 3) ein Szenario zu einer Verordnung, die den Anbau von hoch erosiven Nutzpflanzen (Reihenkulturen) auf stark erodierbaren Böden verbietet. Das Verbot von Reihenkulturen auf stark erosionsgefährdeten Flächen führt im Vergleich zu den Anreizprogramme für eine pfluglose Bodenbearbeitung bei einer vergleichbaren Reduzierung der Bodenerosion sowohl zu niedrigeren betrieblichen Anpassungskosten als auch zu niedrigeren Budgetkosten. Auf der Grundlage der Modellierungsergebnisse ist ein Verbot von Reihenkulturen auf stark erodierbaren Standorten deshalb die vorzüglichere Option im Hinblick auf das Kosten-Wirksamkeits-Verhältnis. Die Einbeziehung von Transaktionskosten in dieser Studie erweitert der Betrachtungsbereich der Politikanalyse, da bei einer reinen Betrachtung der Budgetkosten für die Direktzahlungen an die Landwirte die Gesamtkosten einer Politik unterschätzt werden. Transaktionskosten, verstanden als Kosten für die (Wieder-)Festlegung und Implementierung von Eigentumsrechten, können beträchtliche Beträge erreichen, wodurch die Gesamteffizienz eines Politikansatzes reduziert werden kann. Die Ergebnisse einer qualitativen Analyse der Transaktionskosten der untersuchten Politikoptionen unterstützen ebenfalls den Ansatz eines Verbotes von Reihenkulturen. In dieser Studie wurde erfolgreich ein Modell entwickelt, welches als Entscheidungshilfe für sowohl ökonomische als auch landwirtschaftliche Aspekte des Bodenschutzes dienen kann. Auf der Grundlage der abschließenden Diskussion der entstehenden Transaktionskosten, erweist sich der Regulierungsansatz (räumlich begrenztes Verbot von Reihenkulturen) als die kostengünstigste Option mit potenziell niedrigeren Transaktionskosten. Die wichtigsten Kriterien für ein kostengünstiges Politikdesign sind eine hohe Effizienz der landwirtschaftlichen Maßnahmen und die räumliche Korrelation zwischen dem Programmgebiet und den erosionsgefährdeten Gebieten. Anreiz-Programme zusammen mit weniger effektiven landwirtschaftlichen Praktiken weisen für das untersuchte Beispielsgebiet ein schlechteres Kosten-Wirksamkeits-Verhältnis auf als ein Verbot, das auf einer wirksameren landwirtschaftlichen Maßnahme beruht

Die Erhebungslisten des "Gemeinen Pfennigs" von 1496 - 1499: eine demographische, wirtschafts- und sozialgeschichtliche Untersuchung

Die quantifizierende Bearbeitung historischer Quellen sieht sich einer Vielzahl methodischer Probleme gegenüber. Welche Aussagen sie dennoch zu formulieren ermöglicht, zeigt der Verfasser am Beispiel der "Erhebungslisten des Gemeinen Pfennigs für das Fürstbistum Speyer". Er präsentiert Untersuchungsergebnisse, die Bevölkerungszahl, Haushaltsgröße, Haushaltsstruktur, Anteil der Dienstboten an der Gesamtbevölkerung und Vermögensstruktur beschreiben. (WZ

Integration von Umweltzielen in die Betriebsoptimierung im ökologischen Landbau – Möglichkeiten und Grenzen am Beispiel des Versuchsbetriebes Klostergut Scheyern

Am Beispiel der Reduzierung von Bodenerosion konnte modellhaft gezeigt werden, dass die Integration von Umweltzielen für einen integrierten Betrieb mit geringeren Opportunitätskosten verbunden ist, als dies bei dem ökologisch wirtschaftenden Betrieb der Fall ist. Aufgrund der Notwendigkeit einer vielfältigen Fruchtfolge mit Zwischenfrüchten bzw. Untersaaten im ökologischen Landbau, ist das Erosionsrisiko im ökologisch wirtschaftenden Betrieb bereits ohne Auflagen deutlich niedriger, als die im integrierten Betrieb. Ein integrierter Betrieb ist in der Regel nur durch Zahlung von Prämien zu einer Berücksichtigung von Umweltzielen bereit. Diese Anreize werden dem ökologischen Landbau bereits durch die höheren Produktpreise sowie die Grundförderung gesetzt. Die dargestellten Zusammenhänge helfen aufzuzeigen, wie effizient Umweltziele erreicht werden können

CAP-reform and the provision of non-commodity outputs in Brandenburg

This paper presents an attempt to model the response of selected farms to decoupled direct payments and the associated impact on the provision of a defined set of non-commodity outputs (NCO’s) using a combined modelling approach consisting of the AgriPoliS and MODAM models. AgriPoliS focuses on the socio-economic dimension of multifunctionality at the individual farm and regional levels and explicitly models heterogeneous farms (in size, location and efficiency) within a competitive and dynamic environment. The linear-programming model MODAM allows a detailed representation of production processes and their impact on the environmental dimension of multifunctionality at the farm level. We simulate the impact of a uniform area payment and a fully decoupled single farm payment. Our case study region is the district Ostprignitz-Ruppin in Brandenburg. Results show that the decoupling schemes create a trade-off between the NCO’s and that adjustment reactions differ between farms depending on their legal form, size, and production.decoupling, multifunctionality, non-commodity outputs, modelling, simulation, policy analysis, ecological indicators, Agricultural and Food Policy, Land Economics/Use,

What is the optimal anesthetic protocol for measurements of cerebral autoregulation in spontaneously breathing mice?

Autoregulation, an important feature of the cerebral circulation, is affected in many diseases. Since genetically modified mice are a fundamental tool in biomedical research, including neuro(bio)logy also in this specie measurements of cerebral autoregulation (CA) are mandatory. However, this requires anesthesia that unfortunately significantly impacts cerebral perfusion and consequently might distort CA measurements directly or by altering arterial pCO2. The latter can be avoided by artificial ventilation but requires several control measurements of blood gases, each consuming at least 100μl of blood or 5% of a mouse's blood volume. To avoid such diagnostic hemorrhage, we systematically analyzed the effect of different common anesthetic protocols used for rodents in spontaneously breathing mice on CA measured with Laser speckle perfusion imaging. Halothane, Isoflurane and Pentobarbital abrogated CA and Ketamin/Xylazine as well as Chloralose had a moderate reproducibility. In contrast, the rather rarely used anesthetic Ethomidate applied in low doses combined with local anesthetics had the best reproducibility. Although with this anesthesia the lower CA limit was lower than with Ketamin/Xylazine and Chloralose as reported in the handful of papers so far dealing with CA in mice, we suggest Ethomidate as the anesthetic of choice for CA measurements in spontaneously breathing mic