A key-pose based representation for human action recognition

Ankara : The Department of Computer Engineering and the Graduate School of Engineering and Science of Bilkent University, 2011.Thesis (Master's) -- Bilkent University, 2011.Includes bibliographical references leaves 44-46.This thesis utilizes a key-pose based representation to recognize human actions in videos. We believe that the pose of the human figure is a powerful source for describing the nature of the ongoing action in a frame. Each action can be represented by a unique set of frames that include all the possible spatial configurations of the human body parts throughout the time the action is performed. Such set of frames for each action referred as “key poses” uniquely distinguishes that action from the rest. For extracting “key poses”, we define a similarity value between the poses in a pair of frames by using the lines forming the human figure along with a shape matching method. By the help of a clustering algorithm, we group the similar frames of each action into a number of clusters and use the centroids as “key poses” for that action. Moreover, in order to utilize the motion information present in the action, we include simple line displacement vectors for each frame in the “key poses” selection process. Experiments on Weizmann and KTH datasets show the effectiveness of our key-pose based approach in representing and recognizing human actions.Kurt, Mehmet CanM.S

The effects of intrauterine device on cervico-vaginal smears with liquid-based cytology technique: A North-Eastern Anatolia region study in Turkey

Intrauterine device (IUD), is one of the most efficient methods of contraception. The aim of study to investigate the effects of intrauterine device in cervicovaginal smears with liquid based cytology technique in our patient population. Cervicovaginal smears of 5492 patients who sought the services of the pathology department in a sixmonth period were reviewed retrospectively. Samples were prepared with liquid based cytology technique. The patients using IUD as contraceptive method (n= 562 cases) were included in the study. The samples taken with the conventional method were excluded from the study. The results were categorized according to the Bethesda system. The age range of the patients was 18-61 years (mean age: 34.6). The most common diagnosis was “negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy” (97.2%). In 307 patients (54.6%) there were infection and only in 93 out of them (30.2%) a specific agent was detected. Actinomyces (11%) were recorded as the most common infectious agent, followed by Gardnerella vaginalis (2.8%) and Candida species (2.4%). There were reactive changes in 134 cases (23.8%). In 13 cases (2.3%) epithelial cell abnormalities were detected. The most common cytopathologic diagnosis was ASC-US (atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance) in patients who had epithelial cell abnormalities (2.1%). In conclusion, IUDs increase the frequency of genital infection by disrupting the genital flora. In our study the most frequent agent was Actinomyces, and this rate was higher than some studies. This high rate for Actinomyces may be associated with IUDs that are frequently used for contraception in Erzurum province with long term uses

The Turkish Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Society (KLİMİK) Evidence-Based Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Brucellosis, 2023

Bruselloz, dünyada ve ülkemizde çok yaygın olarak görülmesine rağmen hastalığın tanı ve tedavisini yönlendirmede kullanılabilecek kanıta dayalı bir rehber bulunmamaktadır. Bu rehber, brusellozun tanı ve tedavisi ile ilgilenen farklı uzmanlık alanlarından hekimlere kanıta dayalı öneriler sunmak üzere Türk Klinik Mikrobiyoloji ve İnfeksiyon Has- talıkları Derneği tarafından hazırlanmıştır. Rehberin hazırlanmasında, ABD İnfeksiyon Hastalıkları Derneği (IDSA)’nin Klinik Uygulama Rehberi Geliştirme Kı- lavuzu önerileri esas alınmıştır. Rehberi hazırlayan grup üyeleri tarafından, bruselloz tanı ve tedavisinde önemli olduğu düşünülen 20 soru belirlenmiş ve PICO [hasta/popülasyon (P), müdahale/indikator (I), karşılaştırma/kontrol (C), sonuç (O)] formatında oluşturulan bu sorulara yanıt verebilecek yayınlar, ULAKBİM TR Dizin, PubMed ve Cochrane veritabanlarından, tarih kısıtlaması olmadan taranmıştır. Her bir PICO sorusu ve her bir ayrı sonlanım için kanıtların derecelendirilmesinde ve önerilerin gücünün belirlenmesinde “Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Develop- ment and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group” yöntemi kullanılmıştır. PICO sorularına yanıt oluşturabilecek şekilde karşılaştırmalı klinik araştırmaların olması halinde bunların meta-analizleri, olmaması halindeyse olgu sunumları ve olgu serilerinden elde edilen verilerle “individual participant data” (IPD) meta-analizleri yapılmıştır. Önerilerin yeni çalışmaların sonuçları doğrultusunda belli aralıklarla güncellenmesi planlanmaktadır.Although brucellosis is very common in the world and Türkiye, there are no evidence-based guidelines to guide the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. This guide has been prepared by the Turkish Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases to provide evidence-based recommendations to physicians from different specialties interested in the diagnosis and treatment of brucellosis. The recommendations of the Clinical Practice Guide Development Guide of the Infectious Diseases Society of Amer- ica (IDSA) were taken as the basis for preparing this guide. The guideline preparation group determined 20 questions considered to be important in the diagnosis and treatment of brucellosis, and the publications that could answer these questions prepared in PICO (Population/Patient [P], Intervention [I], Comparison [C], Outcome [O]) format, were searched in ULAKBİM Tr Dizin, PubMed, Cochrane databases without date restrictions. The Grading of Recommen- dations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group method was used to rank the evidence and determine the strength of the recommendations for each PICO question and for each individual outcome. Me- ta-analyses of comparative clinical studies were performed to answer the PICO questions. Individual participant data (IPD) meta-analyses with data obtained from case reports and case series were conducted in the absence of comparative clinical studies. It is planned to update the recommendations at regular intervals in line with the results of new studies

Ulusaldan Küresele: Popülizm, Demokrasi, Güvenlik Konferansı

Öngörülmesi giderek güçleşen, sarsıntılı ve savrulmalı zamanlardan geçiyoruz. İkinci Dünya Savaşı ve Soğuk Savaş ortak deneyimleri sonrasında 1950’lerden ve 1990’lardan itibaren demokratik sistemlerin peş peşe dalgalarla meşrulaşacağı, yaygınlaşacağı ve güçleneceği öngörüsü hakimdi. Ancak son yıllarda yaşanan bazı gelişmelerle demokrasilerin geleceği tekrar sorgulanmaya başladı. Gerek 11 Eylül ile başlayan ve IŞİD ile devam eden ve şiddet içeren İslamcı radikalizm, gerek Batı demokrasilerinde popülist radikal sağ hareketlerin ve beyaz ırkçı grupların yükselişi ve iktidara gelişi, bir yandan güvenlik-özgürlük ikileminin demokrasi dengesini bozdu, bir yandan da hem demokratik sistemlerin hem dünya barışının geleceğini bizi tekrar sorgular, sorgulatır hale getirdi. Demokrasileri bildiğimizi zannediyoruz, ama demokrasiler ile ilgili daha öğrenmemiz gereken çok şey var. Demokrasi kaderimiz de geleceğimiz de olmak zorunda değil belki de. Ya da belki yanlış yerden soru sormaya başlıyoruz, belki demokrasi yerine yeni bir referansa ihtiyacımız var. Aslında demokrasileri çantada keklik görmeyip, sabırla büyütüp yeşertmek, geliştirmek, korumak, ileri safhalara taşımak ve bizden sonraki nesillere aktarmak bir sorumluluk, ve bu sorumluluk bizlere ait. Popülizm, demokrasi, güvenlik kavramlarının her biri bugün sıkça ve yaygın olarak kullandığımız kavramlar olarak gündelik sohbetlerimizin içine kadar girmiş durumda. Bu yaygın kullanımlarına rağmen her bir kavram, üzerine düşünmeye, tartışmaya ve değerlendirmeye tekrar tekrar olanak verecek derinlikte. Her bir tartışma bir diğerini açarken, farklı gibi görünen bu kavramların birbirleriyle kesiştikleri zeminler bulmak mümkün. Popülist liderlerin politikaları bütün siyaset yapma biçimlerini kendine çeken ya da kendinden uzaklaştıran eksenler yaratarak her ikisini de aynı anda besleyebiliyor. Popülist politikaya angaje olan liderler ve grupların yanında bu politikaya karşı mücadele eden kişiler ve kitleler de yok değil, ancak kimi zaman bu kitleler eleştirdiği bu siyaset biçiminin kurucu öznesi haline de gelebiliyor. Bunun karşısında tabandan gelen demokratikleşme talepleri ve popülist siyasetle beraber kurumsallaşan diğer politika yapma biçimleri, demokrasi anlayışımızı farklı yönlere çekebiliyor. Bu demokratikleşme talepleri kimi zaman olumlu karşılıklar alsa da, kimi zaman devletlerin güvenlik politikaları ile etkisizleştirilmeye ve bastırılmaya çalışılıyor. Güvenlik politikalarının alanı günümüz teknolojisi sebebiyle o kadar genişledi ki, bu politikanın nesnesi haline gelmemiş varlık ve alan bulmak neredeyse mümkün değil. Ulusaldan Küresele: Popülizm, Demokrasi, Güvenlik konferansımız bu alanların kendine özgülüklerini göz önünde bulundururken, aralarındaki kesişimleri de ortaya koyan pek çok değerli sunuma ev sahipliği yaptı. Konferansın düzenlenmesinde emeği geçen herkese, ve bu bildiri kitabında tam metinleri ve özetleri bulunan bütün katılımcılarımıza çok teşekkür ederiz.Publisher's Versio

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis

Impacts of the Tropical Pacific/Indian Oceans on the Seasonal Cycle of the West African Monsoon

The current consensus is that drought has developed in the Sahel during the second half of the twentieth century as a result of remote effects of oceanic anomalies amplified by local land–atmosphere interactions. This paper focuses on the impacts of oceanic anomalies upon West African climate and specifically aims to identify those from SST anomalies in the Pacific/Indian Oceans during spring and summer seasons, when they were significant. Idealized sensitivity experiments are performed with four atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs). The prescribed SST patterns used in the AGCMs are based on the leading mode of covariability between SST anomalies over the Pacific/Indian Oceans and summer rainfall over West Africa. The results show that such oceanic anomalies in the Pacific/Indian Ocean lead to a northward shift of an anomalous dry belt from the Gulf of Guinea to the Sahel as the season advances. In the Sahel, the magnitude of rainfall anomalies is comparable to that obtained by other authors using SST anomalies confined to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean. The mechanism connecting the Pacific/Indian SST anomalies with West African rainfall has a strong seasonal cycle. In spring (May and June), anomalous subsidence develops over both the Maritime Continent and the equatorial Atlantic in response to the enhanced equatorial heating. Precipitation increases over continental West Africa in association with stronger zonal convergence of moisture. In addition, precipitation decreases over the Gulf of Guinea. During the monsoon peak (July and August), the SST anomalies move westward over the equatorial Pacific and the two regions where subsidence occurred earlier in the seasons merge over West Africa. The monsoon weakens and rainfall decreases over the Sahel, especially in August.Peer reviewe