VSCAN: An Enhanced Video Summarization using Density-based Spatial Clustering

In this paper, we present VSCAN, a novel approach for generating static video summaries. This approach is based on a modified DBSCAN clustering algorithm to summarize the video content utilizing both color and texture features of the video frames. The paper also introduces an enhanced evaluation method that depends on color and texture features. Video Summaries generated by VSCAN are compared with summaries generated by other approaches found in the literature and those created by users. Experimental results indicate that the video summaries generated by VSCAN have a higher quality than those generated by other approaches.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1401.3590 by other authors without attributio

Isotropy of unitary involutions

We prove the so-called Unitary Isotropy Theorem, a result on isotropy of a unitary involution. The analogous previously known results on isotropy of orthogonal and symplectic involutions as well as on hyperbolicity of orthogonal, symplectic, and unitary involutions are formal consequences of this theorem. A component of the proof is a detailed study of the quasi-split unitary grassmannians.Comment: final version, to appear in Acta Mat

Quality Aware Generative Adversarial Networks

Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) have become a very popular tool for implicitly learning high-dimensional probability distributions. Several improvements have been made to the original GAN formulation to address some of its shortcomings like mode collapse, convergence issues, entanglement, poor visual quality etc. While a significant effort has been directed towards improving the visual quality of images generated by GANs, it is rather surprising that objective image quality metrics have neither been employed as cost functions nor as regularizers in GAN objective functions. In this work, we show how a distance metric that is a variant of the Structural SIMilarity (SSIM) index (a popular full-reference image quality assessment algorithm), and a novel quality aware discriminator gradient penalty function that is inspired by the Natural Image Quality Evaluator (NIQE, a popular no-reference image quality assessment algorithm) can each be used as excellent regularizers for GAN objective functions. Specifically, we demonstrate state-of-the-art performance using the Wasserstein GAN gradient penalty (WGAN-GP) framework over CIFAR-10, STL10 and CelebA datasets.Comment: 10 pages, NeurIPS 201

Study of intrapartum fetal distress with the help of cardiotocography and its correlation with umbilical cord blood sampling

Background: Even in low risk mothers, fetal acidosis occurs as in high risk groups. Aim of fetal monitoring is to detect early response to intrauterine hypoxia and prevent irreversible neurological damage and death. Objective of this study was to correlate the intrapartum fetal distress with the help of cardiotocography CTG with umbilical cord blood sampling.Methods: A total 100 consecutive patients attending the labor ward were studied. Immediately at birth, before the baby’s first breath and before delivery of the placenta, the umbilical cord blood was collected as per the standard guidelines laid down in the standard textbooks. Fetal acidosis was assessed by umbilical cord arterial blood pH. Fetal acidosis was considered when umbilical artery pH <7.2. Cardiotocography features were used to clinically diagnose fetal distress.Results: Most of the mothers were multigravida. They belonged to the age group of 20-25 years. Only 18% had abnormal CTG. Out of 50 mothers with normal vaginal delivery, all had normal CTG. Out of 43 mothers who were delivered by LSCS, no one had normal CTG, 25 had indeterminate CTG and 18 had abnormal CTG. As CTG became abnormal, proportion of mothers with the thick meconium increased. NICU admission proportion increased as CTG changed from normal to the abnormal. There was a significant association between the abnormal CTG and the umbilical cord blood pH being acidic.Conclusions: CTG is a simple test, easy to perform and can alert obstetrician for necessary interventions in case of an abnormal CTG. It can detect fetal distress in labor thus helping to reduce neonatal morbidity by early intervention in cases of abnormal tracing

Assessing the Performance of Nano Lubricant on Zinc Aluminium Alloy

In the field of tribology, Zinc Aluminium (ZA) alloys have been widely investigated for their superior wear characteristics. They were found to be suitable alternatives for bearing bronzes for the operating conditions of high mechanical load and moderate sliding speeds. Addition of nano-particles in the lubricating oil (base oil) to enhance the characteristics of the base oil is known as nano lubrication. In this study, sliding wear behaviour of ZA27 was investigated under dry, base oil and nano oil lubrication conditions, by varying load, sliding distance and sliding speed. With the base oil as SAE 40, nano graphite was added in two step method which was further used to identify the lubrication regime under different lubrication conditions. From the limited study of single melt samples, the results appear that the wear behaviour of ZA27 alloy improved under nano lubrication conditions with reduction in operating temperature. It could be observed from SEM images that the presence of nano-particles reduced scarring and wear, leading to enhancement in the tribological performance of ZA27 alloy

IMPACT OF NEUROCOGNITION ON TEACHING COMPETENCY

Teachers' can facilitate a life time of successful learning by equipping students with a repertoire of strategies and tools for learning. The teacher plays an important role in the educational process. Effective teaching depends upon the evolution of innovative strategies and also the methodology of teaching. As we gain a more scientifically based understanding about today's novel brain and how it learns, we must rethink about what we do in classroom and school. Neuro scientists are mapping the pathways between body and brain, providing tangible evidence of the benefits of hands-on, experimental learning. Neurocognitive process includes a number of human functions through neuronal networks. Brain cells communicating with each other through on electrochemical process. Neurocognition includes perceiving, recognizing, conceiving, judging and reasoning processes. The neurocognitive approach is based upon certain irrefutable facts concerning brain functions, which are applied to the intervention strategies of student teachers developmental difficulties. The teachers must develop the competencies like content competency, contextual competency, communication competency, classroom management and evaluation competency. In this paper, we discuss how the brain and its functions are helpful to the teachers in teaching and bringing out the dimensions of teaching competency such as induction, content, pedagogy, organisation and assessment. We elucidate the Neurocognitive strategies are how helpful to bring out the secrets of amygdala and hippocampus involving in teaching strategies. We also emphasize that the recent development of designing Neurocognitive programme that focus on both cognitive and social development has theoretical and practical challenges

Open Problems on Central Simple Algebras

We provide a survey of past research and a list of open problems regarding central simple algebras and the Brauer group over a field, intended both for experts and for beginners.Comment: v2 has some small revisions to the text. Some items are re-numbered, compared to v

LEAVES OF ANDROGRAPHIS PANICULATA IS AN ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTICANCER AGENT

Objective: Andrographis paniculata (Family: Acanthaceae) is a well-known medicinal plant used in the Indian traditional system of medicine for the treatment of many chronic diseases. The present study was aimed to quantify secondary metabolites, determine antioxidant, and anticancer activity of ethanol extract of A. paniculata leaves. Methods: Leaf sample was macerated with ethanol solvent. Alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, phenols, and flavonoids were quantified with standard calibrations. The antioxidant potential was tested using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. In vitro anticancer activity was evaluated using human epithelial type 2 (HEp-2) cell line. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was used to estimate the cytotoxicity of the extracts. Apoptotic and necrotic effects were characterized by DNA fragmentation assay and fluorescence microscopy using the dual acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining method. Results: The phytochemical analysis reveals the presence of alkaloids, saponins, phenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, and steroids. Alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, phenol, and flavonoid content were recorded as follows: 9.84%, 8.42%, 13.94%, 44.37 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g, and 904 mg quercetin equivalent/100 g, respectively. The antioxidant activity from DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays showed dose-dependent inhibition of free radicals. In cell viability tests, cell death with increasing extract concentration was observed. DNA fragmentation and AO/EB stain confirmed apoptosis and necrosis in extract-treated cells. Conclusion: The results indicate that A. paniculata is a promising source for the development of antioxidant and anticancer drugs

EFFECT OF FLAVONE AND ITS MONOHYDROXY DERIVATIVES ON ANIMAL MODELS OF DEPRESSION IN SWISS ALBINO MICE

Objectives: This research was designed to investigate the antidepressant activity of a few structurally related flavones (flavone, 3‑hydroxyflavone, and 7‑hydroxyflavone) and the possible mechanisms involved. Methods: Antidepressant activity was evaluated in mice by subjecting them to forced swim test and tail suspension test. The involvement of adrenergic, serotonergic, nitric oxide (NO), and opioid mechanisms was investigated using suitable interacting chemicals. Results: Flavone, 3‑hydroxyflavone, and 7‑hydroxyflavone exhibited a significant and dose‑dependent reduction in total time of immobility in the forced swim test and tail suspension test. Pre‑treatment with alpha‑methyl‑para‑tyrosine and parachlorophenyl alanine attenuated the reduction in immobility period produced by flavone and its derivatives in forced swim test. Naloxone pre‑treatment partially reversed the effect of flavone while L‑arginine pre‑treatment did not alter their effect. Conclusion: The investigated flavones exhibited promising antidepressant activity in both the animal models of depression. However, the flavone compounds did not alter the motor coordination and ambulatory behavior in the Rotarod and locomotor activity test. The participation of serotonergic, adrenergic, and opioid mechanism in the antidepressant activity of these compounds was elucidated from the results, and the role of NO pathway was excluded