Accurate object reconstruction by statistical moments

Statistical moments can offer a powerful means for object description in object sequences. Moments used in this way provide a description of the changing shape of the object with time. Using these descriptions to predict temporal views of the object requires efficient and accurate reconstruction of the object from a limited set of moments, but accurate reconstruction from moments has as yet received only limited attention. We show how we can improve accuracy not only by consideration of formulation, but also by a new adaptive thresholding technique that removes one parameter needed in reconstruction. Both approaches are equally applicable for Legendre and other orthogonal moments to improve accuracy in reconstruction

The state of semantic technology today - overview of the first SEALS evaluation campaigns

This paper describes the first five SEALS Evaluation Campaigns over the semantic technologies covered by the SEALS project (ontology engineering tools, ontology reasoning tools, ontology matching tools, semantic search tools, and semantic web service tools). It presents the evaluations and test data used in these campaigns and the tools that participated in them along with a comparative analysis of their results. It also presents some lessons learnt after the execution of the evaluation campaigns and draws some final conclusions

Measuring the impact of COVID-19 on the quality of life of the survivors, partners and family members: a cross-sectional international online survey

Objective: This study aimed to measure the impact of COVID-19 on the quality of life (QoL) of survivors and their partners and family members. Design and setting: A prospective cross-sectional global online survey using social media. Participants: Patients with COVID-19 and partners or family members (age ≥18 years). Intervention: Online survey from June to August 2020. Main outcome measure: The EuroQol group five dimensions three level (EQ-5D-3L) to measure the QoL of survivors of COVID-19, and the Family Reported Outcome Measure (FROM-16) to assess the impact on their partner/family member’s QoL. Results: The survey was completed by 735 COVID-19 survivors (mean age=48 years; females=563) at a mean of 12.8 weeks after diagnosis and by 571 partners and 164 family members (n=735; mean age=47 years; females=246) from Europe (50.6%), North America (38.5%) and rest of the world (10.9%). The EQ-5D mean score for COVID-19 survivors was 8.65 (SD=1.9, median=9; range=6–14). 81.1% (596/735) reported pain and discomfort, 79.5% (584/735) problems with usual activities, 68.7% (505/735) anxiety and depression and 56.2% (413/735) problems with mobility. Hospitalised survivors (20.1%, n=148) and survivors with existing health conditions (30.9%, n=227) reported significantly more problems with mobility and usual activities (pPeer reviewedFinal Published versio

Quantifying Asthenospheric and Lithospheric Controls on Mafic Magmatism Across North Africa

African basin‐and‐swell morphology is often attributed to the planform of sub‐plate mantle convection. Across North Africa, the coincidence of Neogene and Quaternary (i.e. <23 Ma) magmatism, topographic swells, long wavelength gravity anomalies, and slow shear wave velocity anomalies within the asthenosphere provides observational constraints for this hypothesis. Admittance analysis of topographic and gravity fields corroborates the existence of sub‐plate support. To investigate quantitative relationships between intraplate magmatism, shear wave velocity, and asthenospheric temperature, we collected and analyzed a suite of 224 lava samples from Tibesti, Jabal Eghei, Haruj, Sawda/Hasawinah and Gharyan volcanic centers of Libya and Chad. Forward and inverse modeling of major, trace, and Rare Earth elements were used for thermobarometric studies and to determine melt fraction as a function of depth. At each center, mafic magmatism is modeled by assuming adiabatic decompression of dry peridotite with asthenospheric potential temperatures of 1300–1360°C. Surprisingly, the highest temperatures are associated with the low‐lying Haruj volcanic center rather than with the more prominent Tibesti swell. Our results are consistent with earthquake tomographic models which show that the slowest shear wave anomalies within the upper mantle occur directly beneath the Haruj center. This inference is corroborated by converting observed velocities into potential temperatures, which are in good agreement with those determined by geochemical inverse modeling. Our results suggest that North African volcanic swells are primarily generated by thermal anomalies located beneath thinned lithosphere.Shell Research National Aeronautics and space administration National environmental research council ForschungsGermeinsChaf

Meaning of Family Reported Outcome Measure (FROM-16) severity score bands: a cross-sectional online study in the UK

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/Objective: To assign clinical meanings to the Family Reported Outcome Measure (FROM-16) scores through the development of score bands using the anchor-based approach. Design and setting: A cross-sectional online study recruited participants through UK-based patient support groups, research support platforms (HealthWise Wales, Autism Research Centre-Cambridge University database, Join Dementia Research) and through social service departments in Wales. Participants: Family members/partners (aged ≥18 years) of patients with different health conditions. Intervention: Family members/partners of patients completed the FROM-16 questionnaire and a Global Question (GQ). Main outcome measure: Various FROM-16 band sets were devised as a result of mapping of mean, median and mode of the GQ scores to FROM-16 total score, and receiver operating characteristic-area under the curve cut-off values. The band set with the best agreement with GQ based on weighted kappa was selected. Results: A total of 4413 family members/partners (male=1533, 34.7%; female=2858, 64.8%; Prefer not to say=16, 0.4%; other=6, 0.14%) of people with a health condition (male=1994, 45.2%; female=2400, 54.4%; Prefer not to say=12, 0.3%; other=7, 0.16%) completed the online survey: mean FROM-16 score=15.02 (range 0–32, SD=8.08), mean GQ score=2.32 (range 0–4, SD=1.08). The proposed FROM-16 score bandings are: 0–1=no effect on the quality of life of family member; 2–8=small effect on family member; 9–16=moderate effect on family member; 17–25=very large effect on family member; 26–32=extremely large effect on family member (weighted kappa=0.60). Conclusion: The FROM-16 score descriptor bands provide new information to clinicians about interpreting scores and score changes, allowing better-informed treatment decisions for patients and their families. The score banding of FROM-16, along with a short administration time, demonstrates its potential to support holistic clinical practice.Peer reviewe

Association between extra-genital congenital anomalies and hypospadias outcome

Extra-genital congenital anomalies are often present in cases of hypospadias, but it is unclear whether they have an association with the outcome of hypospadias surgery. The aim of this study was to review all hypospadias cases that had surgery between 2009 and 2015 at a single centre and identify clinical determinants of the surgical outcome. An extra-genital congenital anomaly was reported in 139 (22%) boys and 62 (10%) had more than 1 anomaly. Of the 626 boys, 54 (9%), including 44 with proximal hypospadias, had endocrine as well as limited genetic evaluation. Of these, 10 (19%) had a biochemical evidence of hypogonadism and 5 (9%) had a molecular genetic abnormality. At least 1 complication was reported in 167 (27%) patients, with 20% of complications (most frequently fistula) occurring after 2 years of surgery. The severity of hypospadias and the existence of other anomalies were clinical factors that were independently associated with an increased risk of complications (p &lt; 0.001). In conclusion, complications following surgery are more likely in those cases that are proximal or who have additional extra-genital anomalies. To understand the biological basis of these complications, there is a greater need to understand the aetiology of such cases

Status of Grauer’s Gorilla and Chimpanzees in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: Historical and Current Distribution and Abundance

This report summarises the current state of knowledge on the distribution, densities and trends in abundance of Grauer&rsquo;s gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri) and the eastern chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It summarises the historical knowledge about the distribution of Grauer&rsquo;s gorilla across its range and describes the development of a Conservation Action Plan (CAP) for these two ape species. A result of this CAP was funding to undertake an assessment of the current status of these apes across the range of Grauer&rsquo;s gorilla. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Fauna &amp; Flora International (FFI) worked with Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) and the Reserve managers of the Reserve des Gorilles de Punia (RGPU) and local communities to undertake surveys across the region using a variety of methods: line transects, recces along paths and patrol data from data collected by rangers while on patrol and entered into SMART software

Collaboration between Science and Religious Education teachers in Scottish Secondary schools

The article reports on quantitative research that examines: (1) the current practice in collaboration; and (2) potential for collaboration between Science and Religious Education teachers in a large sample of Scottish secondary schools. The authors adopt and adapt three models (conflict; concordat and consonance) to interrogate the relationship between science and religion (and the perceived relation between these two subjects in schools) (Astley and Francis 2010). The findings indicate that there is evidence of limited collaboration and, in a few cases, a dismissive attitude towards collaboration (conflict and concordat and very weak consonance). There is, however, evidence of a genuine aspiration for greater collaboration among many teachers (moving towards a more robust consonance model). The article concludes by discussing a number of key factors that must be realised for this greater collaboration to be enacted

Design of the second evaluation campaign

wrigley2011aThis deliverable is concerned with the implementation of the second evaluation campaign based upon the methodology and design recommendations made in SEALS Deliverable D3.1. This deliverable covers the initial preparation of the second SEALS Evaluation Campaign and describes the tasks that have been performed during the Initiation and Involvement phases. Furthermore, the deliverable describes the steps to be taken over the next few months and the actors who are responsible for those steps