Method and apparatus for filtering visual documents

A method and apparatus for producing an abstract or condensed version of a visual document is presented. The frames comprising the visual document are first sampled to reduce the number of frames required for processing. The frames are then subjected to a structural decomposition process that reduces all information in each frame to a set of values. These values are in turn normalized and further combined to produce only one information content value per frame. The information content values of these frames are then compared to a selected distribution cutoff point. This effectively selects those values at the tails of a normal distribution, thus filtering key frames from their surrounding frames. The value for each frame is then compared with the value from the previous frame, and the respective frame is finally stored only if the values are significantly different. The method filters or compresses a visual document with a reduction in digital storage on the ratio of up to 700 to 1 or more, depending on the content of the visual document being filtered

Knowles, Kolb, & Google: Prior Learning Assessment as a Model for 21st-Century Learning

For adult students who have committed anew to completing a four-year bachelor’s degree, prior learning assessment (PLA) can be a surprising bonus that affirms their previous life experiences, shortens the degree completion pathway, and ultimately lowers tuition dollars. What students typically do not realize as they enter the process, however, is that PLA can be much more than simply a road to a diploma: When designed with an intentional framework of andragogical principles and experiential emphases, PLA can provide adult students with a lifelong model for self-assessment and higher-level learning in a 21st-century Google era

Fitting Weibull ACD Models to High Frequency Transactions Data: A Semi-parametric Approach based on Estimating Functions

Autoregressive conditional duration (ACD) models play an important role in financial modeling. This paper considers the estimation of the Weibull ACD model using a semi-parametric approach based on the theory of estimating functions (EF). We apply the EF and the maximum likelihood (ML) methods to a data set given in Tsay (2003, p203) to compare these two methods. It is shown that the EF approach is easier to apply in practice and gives better estimates than the MLE. Results show that the EF approach is compatible with the ML method in parameter estimation. Furthermore, the computation speed for the EF approach is much faster than for the MLE and therefore offers a significant reduction of the completion time.Volatility, Option pricing, Volatility of volatility, Forecasting

Unconstitutional Uncertainty: A Study of the Use of Detainers

The question is why a prosecutor would go through the motions of asking a warden to notify him of the availability of a prisoner that he never intends to take into custody. The first answer is that it is common practice for many prosecutors to automatically file a detainer upon learning that an accused is imprisoned elsewhere. This decision is made without any regard to their eventual decision to prosecute. But the more basic answer, and the reason why this practice of automatic filing of detainers has developed, lies in the effects a detainer has upon the prisoner

Alien Registration- Shelton, Walter E. (Portland, Cumberland County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/26578/thumbnail.jp

X-Men, Dragon Age, and Religion: Representations of Religion and the Religious in Comic Books, Video Games, and Their Related Media

It is a widely accepted notion that a child can only be called stupid for so long before they believe it, can only be treated in a particular way for so long before that is the only way that they know. Why is that notion never applied to how we treat, address, and present religion and the religious to children and young adults? In recent years, questions have been continuously brought up about how we portray violence, sexuality, gender, race, and many other issues in popular media directed towards young people, particularly video games. These issues rarely include religion, despite a significant shift in how young people, specifically millennials, relate to religion. This paper examines how religion and religious characters are presented in comic books and video games. These two mediums are particularly important for young people as video games are an ever growing form of entertainment and comic books, though they have been a part of popular culture for decades, have seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years. Specific cases of religion in video games, including the creation of religions specifically for the game, the addressing of real world religions in games, and the use of religious terminology in the game are examined. This paper also examines the number of comic book characters that are associated with various religions, how they are portrayed in comics, and how this numbers are changing

EFFECTS OF COMPUTER-ASSISTED INSTRUCTION USING MULTIPLE VIDEO EXEMPLARS TO INCREASE SAFETY SKILL KNOWLEDGE WITH STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of a treatment package consisting of computer-assisted instruction using multiple video exemplars to teach safety skills to students with intellectual disability. A multiple probe across participants design was used to evaluate knowledge acquisition and the generalization of knowledge to the authentic setting (e.g, the school parking lot). The results showed training was effective in knowledge acquisition and improving skills demonstrated while crossing the parking lot

A database of persons convicted of felonies in Washtenaw County, Michigan, 1990-2007

This study is a database of information from Washtenaw County, Michigan, court records of approximately one-fourth of its convicted felons from 1990 to 2007. It includes 3,123 sentencing appearances for 3,992 crimes committed by 2,495 defendants. It includes 1126 probation violation resentencings for a total of 5,118 sentences. It contains demographics of defendants and the dynamics of their crimes and the sentencing process. Several official court reports in each case were examined. Preliminary descriptive and frequency analyses are reported to describe the database in detail and lay the groundwork for future sophisticated regression and other analyses. Special attention is given to issues of racial and gender disparities. Suggestions for future research based on this data are included. To the extent that this research and these analyses add to our knowledge of offenders, offenses, and sentencing, they may contribute to more knowledgeable criminal justice policy decisions