I Probe, Therefore I Am: Designing a Virtual Journalist with Human Emotions

By utilizing different communication channels, such as verbal language, gestures or facial expressions, virtually embodied interactive humans hold a unique potential to bridge the gap between human-computer interaction and actual interhuman communication. The use of virtual humans is consequently becoming increasingly popular in a wide range of areas where such a natural communication might be beneficial, including entertainment, education, mental health research and beyond. Behind this development lies a series of technological advances in a multitude of disciplines, most notably natural language processing, computer vision, and speech synthesis. In this paper we discuss a Virtual Human Journalist, a project employing a number of novel solutions from these disciplines with the goal to demonstrate their viability by producing a humanoid conversational agent capable of naturally eliciting and reacting to information from a human user. A set of qualitative and quantitative evaluation sessions demonstrated the technical feasibility of the system whilst uncovering a number of deficits in its capacity to engage users in a way that would be perceived as natural and emotionally engaging. We argue that naturalness should not always be seen as a desirable goal and suggest that deliberately suppressing the naturalness of virtual human interactions, such as by altering its personality cues, might in some cases yield more desirable results.Comment: eNTERFACE16 proceeding

A Searching and Automatic Video Tagging Tool for Events of Interest during Volleyball Training Sessions

Date of Conference: 14-18 October 2019Conference Name: 21st ACM International Conference on Multimodal Interaction, ICMI 2019Quick and easy access to performance data during matches and training sessions is important for both players and coaches. While there are many video tagging systems available, these systems require manual effort. This paper proposes a system architecture that automatically supplements video recording by detecting events of interests in volleyball matches and training sessions to provide tailored and interactive multi-modal feedback.ACM SIGCHIAISpeechBaiduMicrosoftOpenstreamSenseTim

Citološka analiza endometrija kod krava s akutnim i kroničnim endometritisom.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the findings of endometrial cytology in cows with acute and chronic endometritis. For this purpose samples were collected from 217 Brown Swiss and Holstein cows, housed on the Atatürk University Dairy Research Farm between the years 2010 and 2012, and they were stained with Giemsa for cytological examination. In the evaluation, overall 100 cells were counted in the microscopic area and the cells were classified as polymorph nuclear leukocyte, macrophage, lymphocyte and epithelial cells. The cytopathological classification was done according to the percentages of inflammatory cells. Briefly, 126 (58.06 %) samples had extensive inflammatory cells, and of the uterine samples 91 (41.94 %) had normal exfoliation. According to the cellular density results, acute, and chronic and subacute endometritis were described in 68 (31.33 %), 23 (10.60 %) and 35 (16.13 %) cases, respectively. In conclusion, endometrial cytology was found to be an applicable and reliable diagnostic method in diagnosis and diffentiation of acute and chronic endometritis.Cilj istraživanja bio je procijeniti citološke nalaze u endometriju krava s akutnim i kroničnim endometritisom. U tu su svrhu između 2010. i 2012. godine bili prikupljeni uzorci od 217 krava smeđe i holštajnske pasmine, uzgajanih na pokusnoj mliječnoj farmi na Sveučilištu Atatürk. Uzorci su bili obojeni Giemsinim bojenjem. Pri procjeni je u vidnom polju mikroskopa bilo izbrojeno ukupno 100 stanica kojesu razvrstane u polimorfononuklearne leukocite, makrofage, limfocite i epitelne stanice. Citopatološko razvrstavanje bilo je provedeno na osnovi postotka upalnih stanica. Ukratko, upalne stanice bile su ustanovljene u 126 (58,06 %) uzoraka, dok je u 91 (41,94 %) uzorku maternice ustanovljeno normalno ljuštenje stanica. Na osnovi stanične gustoće, akutni endometritis bio je dokazan u 68 (31,33 %) uzoraka, kronični u 23 (10,60 %), a subakutni u 35 (16,13 %) uzoraka. Zaključno, citologija endometrija pokazala se primjenjljivom i pouzdanom metodom u dijagnostici odnosno razlikovanju akutnog od kroničnog endometritisa

An Object-Oriented Simulator for 3D Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Imaging System

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is an innovative imaging modality that provides 3D reconstructed images of breast to detect the breast cancer. Projections obtained with an X-ray source moving in a limited angle interval are used to reconstruct 3D image of breast. Several reconstruction algorithms are available for DBT imaging. Filtered back projection algorithm has traditionally been used to reconstruct images from projections. Iterative reconstruction algorithms such as algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) were later developed. Recently, compressed sensing based methods have been proposed in tomosynthesis imaging problem. We have developed an object-oriented simulator for 3D digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) imaging system using C++ programming language. The simulator is capable of implementing different iterative and compressed sensing based reconstruction methods on 3D digital tomosynthesis data sets and phantom models. A user friendly graphical user interface (GUI) helps users to select and run the desired methods on the designed phantom models or real data sets. The simulator has been tested on a phantom study that simulates breast tomosynthesis imaging problem. Results obtained with various methods including algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) and total variation regularized reconstruction techniques (ART+TV) are presented. Reconstruction results of the methods are compared both visually and quantitatively by evaluating performances of the methods using mean structural similarity (MSSIM) values

Nerve conduction study plays a key role in the correct diagnosis of HNPP

Objective: As nerve conduction study (NCS) is a commonly employed tool in the diagnosis of hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP), we describe the electrophysiological features of our patients, comparing the findings with those of healthy subjects. Methods: The charts of 19 HNPP patients were reviewed and NCS including residual latency (RL) and terminal latency index (TLI) were compared with the findings of 32 control subjects. Results: Motor NCS revealed significant differences (p<0.05) in all variables except for the tibial distal latency, median compound muscle action potential amplitude, ulnar and peroneal TLI, and tibial RL in the patient cohort compared with healthy controls. Tibial TLI was bigger in the patient cohort (p<0.05). Nerve conduction velocity (NCV) slowing of the knee-ankle segments were more marked compared with the elbow-wrist segments (p<0.05). NCV of the ulnar nerve was significantly slower in the elbow segment, compared with the below elbow-wrist and axilla-above elbow segments (p=0.000). F-responses were prolonged in the lower extremities and RL prolongations were especially prominent in the median nerve (p<0.05). TLI values were smaller in the median nerve, compared with all other nerves (p<0.05). Sensory NCS were notably abnormal in the patient cohort compared with the healthy controls (p<0.001). However, the sural compound nerve action potential amplitude was markedly enlarged compared with the upper extremity nerves (p<0.01). Conclusion: Correct interpretation of the NCS findings plays an essential role in the diagnosis and rational use of mutation analysis in suspected cases

Clinic Features, Follow-Up And Treatment Options Of Acute Paronychia In Children: Hacettepe University Experience

Objective: Paronychia, the inflammation of proximal and lateral nail folds and, is the most commonly encountered hand infection. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the clinical features and treatment options of paronychia in our center. Material and Methods: Patients diagnosed with acute paronychia from June 2014 to December 2016 in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Department of Hacettepe University ihsan Dogramaci Children Hospital were included into the study. Patients' age, gender, underlying disease, physical examination findings, laboratory parameters, hospitalization status, treatment choices (surgery/antibiotic treatment) and durations, and complications were evaluated. Results: Seventy-five patients (37 male, 49.3%) with a median age of 8 years (0-18) were enrolled into the study. The patients were divided into two groups as immunocompetent (62, 82.7%) and immunocompromised (primary or secondary immunodeficiency, 13, 17.3%). Two of the immuncompromised patients (14.3%) and eight of immunocompetent patients underwent surgery drainage because of abscess formation. Five patients were hospitalized, three of whom (21.4%) were immunocompromised and two of whom (3.3%) were immunocompetent (p=0.01). Conclusion: Immune response of the patients diagnosed with paronychia is the main guide for treatment and follow plan.Wo

Serum Interleukin 17 Levels in Patients with Crohn’s Disease: Real Life Data

The aim of this study was to investigate serum IL17 levels in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and to investigate the relationship between serum IL17 levels with disease activity. Methods. Fifty patients with CD and sex- and age-matched 40 healthy controls were included in the study. The serum IL17 levels, complete blood count, blood chemistry, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured, and Crohn’s disease activity was calculated using Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI). Results. The mean serum IL17 level of CD patients did not differ from those of healthy controls (P>0.05). There was no difference between the mean serum IL levels of active CD patients and of quiescent CD patients (P>0.05). However, the mean IL17 level of active patients was lower than of control subjects (P=0.02). Serum IL17 was not correlated with inflammatory markers (ESR, CRP, white blood count, platelet count, and albumin) and CDAI. Conclusions. Peripheral blood serum IL17 levels of CD patients were not higher than of healthy controls, and also, serum IL17 level was not correlated with clinical disease activity. Peripheral IL17 measurement is not a useful tool for detecting and monitoring Crohn’s disease which is understood to have complex etiopathogenesis

Respiratory Viral Infections In Infants With Possible Sepsis

Background Knowledge of infections leading to sepsis is needed to develop comprehensive infection prevention and sepsis, as well as early recognition and treatment strategies.The aim of this study was to investigate the etiology of sepsis and evaluate the proportion of respiratory viral pathogens in infants under two years of age with possible sepsis. Methods The prospective study was performed in two years. Multiplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to detect viral pathogens. All patients who were included in this study had sepsis symptoms as defined by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign. Results We compared 90 patients with sepsis into three groups as patients (n = 33) who had only viral positivity in nasopharyngeal swab, patients (17) had proven bacterial infection with or without viral infection, and patients (40) without the pathogen detection. Human rhinovirus (16.7%) and influenza (7.8%) were the most commonly seen viruses. A cough was more common in the viral infection group than other groups (P = 0.02) and median thrombocyte count was lower in the bacterial infection group than the others (P = 0.01). Patients having bacterial sepsis had the longest duration of hospitalization than the other groups (P = 0.04). During winter and spring seaons, patients with sepsis had more viral infection; however, in summer and autumn period, patients were mostly in a state that we could not prove infection agents (P = 0.02). Conclusions Our results suggest that respiratory tract viruses may play an important role in patients with sepsis and they should be kept in mind, especially during winter and spring seasons. In overall infection, viral respiratory viruses as a single pathogen with a detection rate of 36.6% in sepsis etiology.WoSScopu