Depth mapping of integral images through viewpoint image extraction with a hybrid disparity analysis algorithm

Integral imaging is a technique capable of displaying 3–D images with continuous parallax in full natural color. It is one of the most promising methods for producing smooth 3–D images. Extracting depth information from integral image has various applications ranging from remote inspection, robotic vision, medical imaging, virtual reality, to content-based image coding and manipulation for integral imaging based 3–D TV. This paper presents a method of generating a depth map from unidirectional integral images through viewpoint image extraction and using a hybrid disparity analysis algorithm combining multi-baseline, neighbourhood constraint and relaxation strategies. It is shown that a depth map having few areas of uncertainty can be obtained from both computer and photographically generated integral images using this approach. The acceptable depth maps can be achieved from photographic captured integral images containing complicated object scene

Foraging Behavior of Tetramorium Caespitum in an Urban Environment: the Effect of Food Quality on Foraging

Animals\u27 foraging strategies are directly related to their fitness. Proposed models of optimal foraging assume that animals strategize in terms of maximizing benefits over the cost of acquiring resources. Ants are social insects that are comparable in biomass to humans inhabiting the plant. As such, it is crucial to understand the foraging strategies of such an influential member of the ecosystem. With the ever-increasing rate of urbanization and human encroachment, it is even more important to consider the foraging patterns of species inhabiting urban areas. In this study we investigate optimal foraging strategies in the pavement ant, Tetramorium caespitum. Specifically, our study examined if pavement ant colonies would alter their foraging behavior so as to maximize benefits and minimize costs. To do this, we exposed the ants to food of two varying nutritional qualities to test how they allocated foragers across these two resources.Food quantity, distance to the food source and terrain were the same in both types of resources. Across a two day period, we saw that T. caespitum colonies increased ant recruitment when food quality increased and decreased ant recruitment when food quality decreased. Our control treatments where food quality did not change also did not see a change in ant recruitment. This study shows that species that live in urban areas, such as T. caespitum, can adapt to forage optimally. Studies like this can be used to make predictions about survival of species that are newly associated with urban environments

A Review of Studies of Gastrointestinal Diseases. In Search of New Alternatives to the Analysis of Health/Illness processes

Objectives: To present the outcomes of a revised study of intestinal parasites from different disciplines, and to describe their treatment and explore new alternatives to their approach on the Mbya-Guaraní population of the Amazon River basin, Brazil

Who Defines Culturally Acceptable Health Access? Universal rights, healthcare politics and the problems of two Mbya-Guarani communities in the Misiones Province, Argentina

This paper seeks to analyze the problems and barriers encountered when public policy health programs are implemented within indigenous communities. The initial stumbling block for such programs is precisely the idea of health as a universal right, around which emerges a characterization and stereotype of the indigenous population who are consequently addressed as a homogenized unit subsisting below the poverty line, and marginalized. A result of this is that the  particular ethno-cultural register of such populations fails to be acknowledged and form part of a systematic public health policy. Consequently, health policies become generalized in character, unable to variate and differentiate according to the culturally specific contexts within which health outreach and access is needed. In this sense, based on the results of an ethnographic study carried out in two Mbya-Guaraní indigenous communities of Argentina, our study highlights as to how public policies of indigenous health are perceived, their impact value measured, and the meanings which emerge locally about the policy practices implemented.Lastly, our study identifies problems that can be avoided in fulfilling the goals of universal policies and certain questions to consider at the time of policy design and implementation.This paper seeks to analyze the problems and barriers encountered when public policy health programs are implemented within indigenous communities. The initial stumbling block for such programs is precisely the idea of health as a universal right, around which emerges a characterization and stereotype of the indigenous population who are consequently addressed as a homogenized unit subsisting below the poverty line, and marginalized. A result of this is that the  particular ethno-cultural register of such populations fails to be acknowledged and form part of a systematic public health policy. Consequently, health policies become generalized in character, unable to variate and differentiate according to the culturally specific contexts within which health outreach and access is needed. In this sense, based on the results of an ethnographic study carried out in two Mbya-Guaraní indigenous communities of Argentina, our study highlights as to how public policies of indigenous health are perceived, their impact value measured, and the meanings which emerge locally about the policy practices implemented. Lastly, our study identifies problems that can be avoided in fulfilling the goals of universal policies and certain questions to consider at the time of policy design and implementation.

Sick and tired: how molecular regulators of human sleep schedules and duration impact immune function.

Why do we need to sleep? What regulates when we sleep? And what dictates the number of hours we require? These are often viewed as three separate biological questions. Here, we propose they share molecular etiologies, whereby regulators of sleep schedules and sleep duration also govern the physiological purposes of sleep. To support our hypothesis, we review Mendelian human genetic variants sufficient to advance sleep-wake onset (PER2) and shorten sleep length (DEC2), and evaluate their emerging roles in immune responses that may rely on a sound night of slumber

Scholarships and Education Projects in the Chinese Filipino Community: An Overview

The paper provides a brief discussion on the Chinese in the Philippines and the current state of education system in the community. While Chinese Filipino schools cater mainly to ethnic Chinese in the Philippines, these are also open to all Philippine residents. Almost all graduates of these schools eventually pursue higher education in Philippine colleges and universities. Upon graduation, they become professionals and serve not only the Chinese Filipino community but the larger Philippine society. The guiding principle of the community for the past two decades has been to produce graduates with a solid grounding in Chinese language and culture, who are multicultural and multilingual and equipped to meet the challenges of the new century. To help in furthering this objective, different scholarships and education projects are available in the Chinese Filipino community. The paper ends with a discussion on the major education projects thatbenefit the mainstream society, and hopefully identify the best practices that can be replicated outside of the Chinese Filipino community

Chiral chromatography and its application to the pharmaceutical industry: A review

Chiral chromatographic enantioseparation has been in practice by researchers. There has been a considerable interest in the synthesis and separation of enantiomers of organic compounds especially because of their importance in the biochemical and pharmaceutical industries. Often, these compounds are purified rather than being produced by chiral-specific synthesis. We herein present a general discussion that focuses on the chromatographic enantioseparation, which we hope will be useful to chromatographic and pharmaceutical industries.Keywords: Chiral chromatography, enantioseparation, pharmaceutical industry

Supplémentation en vitamine E chez des enfants sénégalais présentant un kwashiorkor

Le kwashiorkor pèse encore lourdement sur la mortalité infantile dans les pays en développement et une hypothèse récente suggère que cette forme de malnutrition pourrait être liée à l'agression oxydante de certaines substances. La vitamine E représente l'un des principaux anti-oxydants naturels et l'objectif de cette étude était d'évaluer si une supplémentation en vitamine E pouvait améliorer l'état des enfants souffrant de kwashiorkor. En parallèle, une supplémentation a également été programmée chez des enfants atteints de marasme. L'étude s'est déroulée d'octobre 1993 à juillet 1994 et porte sur 79 enfants (38 cas de kwashiorkor et 41 cas de marasme). Sur le plan évolutif, le protocole utilisé a permis d'obtenir 76% de guérison, le meilleur résultat (89,5%) ayant été enregistré chez les enfants atteints de marasme et supplémentés en vitamine E. En revanche, la supplémentation n'a eu aucun impact sur la qualité de la réhabilitation nutritionnelle. Dans le groupe des enfants atteints de kwashiorkor, le gain de poids, calculé après la disparition des oedèmes, était de 15,2 (+ ou -4,9) g/kg/j pour les enfants supplémentés en vitamine E et de 16,4 (+ ou - 3,6) g/kg/j pour ceux qui ne l'étaient pas. La durée des oedèmes durant la prise en charge était, par ailleurs, similaire dans les deux catégories (vitamine E : 8,6 (+ ou - 3) jours ; placebo : 7,1 (+ ou - 3,9) jours). Les raisons pouvant expliquer l'absence d'effet favorable de la supplémentation sont abordées dans la discussion. (Résumé d'auteur

The predictive strength of MBS yield spreads during asset bubbles

We examine whether the predictive power of initial yield spreads of mortgage-backed securities (MBS) vary with the financial cycle. Using a cross-country sample of 4203 MBS, we find that initial yield spreads of MBS incorporate more information than credit ratings and predict future downgrades, even after conditioning on initial credit ratings. Predictive power of spreads is higher during credit and housing bubbles and for the least risky AAA-rated MBS. We find that initial yield spreads capture the magnitude of rating downgrades, especially during asset bubble periods. As a novel approach in this literature, we also utilise machine learning techniques (regression trees, naïve Bayes, support vector machines and random forests) to confirm our results

The relationship between web enjoyment and student perceptions and learning using a web-based tutorial

Web enjoyment has been regarded as a component of system experience. However, there has been little targeted research considering the role of web enjoyment alone in student learning using web-based systems. To address this gap, this study aims to examine the influence of web enjoyment on learning performance and perceptions by controlling system experience as a variable in the study. 74 students participated in the study, using a web-based tutorial covering subject matter in the area of 'Computation and algorithms'. Their learning performance was assessed with a pre-test and a post-test and their learning perceptions were evaluated with a questionnaire. The results indicated that there are positive relationships between the levels of web enjoyment and perceived usefulness and non-linear navigation for users with similar, significant levels of system experience. The implications of these findings in relation to web-based learning are explored and ways in which the needs of students who report different levels of web enjoyment might be met are discussed