A Two-Stage Approach to Important Area Detection in Gathering Place Using a Novel Multi-Input Attention Network

An important area in a gathering place is a region attracting the constant attention of people and has evident visual features, such as a flexible stage or an open-air show. Finding such areas can help security supervisors locate the abnormal regions automatically. The existing related methods lack an efficient means to find important area candidates from a scene and have failed to judge whether or not a candidate attracts people’s attention. To realize the detection of an important area, this study proposes a two-stage method with a novel multi-input attention network (MAN). The first stage, called important area candidate generation, aims to generate candidate important areas with an image-processing algorithm (i.e., K-means++, image dilation, median filtering, and the RLSA algorithm). The candidate areas can be selected automatically for further analysis. The second stage, called important area candidate classification, aims to detect an important area from candidates with MAN. In particular, MAN is designed as a multi-input network structure, which fuses global and local image features to judge whether or not an area attracts people’s attention. To enhance the representation of candidate areas, two modules (i.e., channel attention and spatial attention modules) are proposed on the basis of the attention mechanism. These modules are mainly based on multi-layer perceptron and pooling operation to reconstruct the image feature and provide considerably efficient representation. This study also contributes to a new dataset called gathering place important area detection for testing the proposed two-stage method. Lastly, experimental results show that the proposed method has good performance and can correctly detect an important area.

Assessing Post-Driving Discomfort and Its Influence on Gait Patterns

Professional drivers need constant attention during long driving periods and sometimes perform tasks outside the truck. Driving discomfort may justify inattention, but it does not explain post-driving accidents outside the vehicle. This study aims to study the discomfort developed during driving by analysing modified preferred postures, pressure applied at the interface with the seat, and changes in pre- and post-driving gait patterns. Each of the forty-four volunteers drove for two hours in a driving simulator. Based on the walking speed changes between the two gait cycles, three homogeneous study groups were identified. Two groups performed faster speeds, while one reduced it in the post-steering gait. While driving, the pressure at the interface and the area covered over the seat increased throughout the sample. Preferred driving postures differed between groups. No statistical differences were found between the groups in the angles between the segments (flexed and extended). Long-time driving develops local or whole-body discomfort, increasing interface pressure over time. While driving, drivers try to compensate by modifying their posture. After long steering periods, a change in gait patterns can be observed. These behaviours may result from the difficulties imposed on blood circulation by increasing pressure at this interface.

К вопросу об этнической и общероссийской идентичности в республиках Башкортостан и Татарстан

Introduction. In multiethnic societies, the issues of interaction between different peoples is the subject of monitoring, as well as of constant attention, on the part of the government as a measure of preventing any contradictions and complications in this area. The article aims at studying the populations’ attitudes and perceptions in terms of local and national (federal, Russian) identities in the Republics of Bashkortostan and Tatarstan, as well as the degree of their involvement in the global social transformations of the Russian society at large. Data and methods. The research focuses on the analysis of the results of 2020–2021 surveys of the population of the two neighboring republics conducted within the framework of the Project «Preservation and development of the ethnocultural and linguistic diversity of the republics as a condition for promoting Russian federalism». When selecting the objects for the research the authors were guided by the fact that Bashkortostan and Tatarstan are leading subjects of the Russian Federation both in terms of socio-economic development and an awareness of civil and ethnic identities. Results. The study shows that while their ethnic (regional) identities have recently been of relevance for the populations in both republics, at the same time, there is a growing awareness of their national (federal) identity; there is an interest in promoting institutes of civil society, as well as in facilitating greater access to active involvement of the people in the economic, social, and public processes. Sociological surveys help correct approaches, as well as clarify and specify some concepts related to ethnological issues. This article, for example, includes analysis of various types of identities, including such concepts as «all-Russian nation», «ethnic identity», which are in the center of discussions in the scientific community. Granted the data of new ethno-sociological studies, the study attempts to further clarify the conceptual bases of these notions, the processes contributing to their formation, and their relationship with other forms of individuals’ identities and loyalties characteristic of modern Russian society. Conclusion. The process of growing national (federal) identity may encounter some difficulty, granted that there are problems in the economic sphere and everyday life. Positive changes in the economic, political, and social areas that will further a better quality of life and provide greater opportunities for development of human potentialities may significantly improve the situation. A diversity of ethnic, cultural, and confessional backgrounds characteristic of the populations in the regions in question contribute to the specific features of their worldviews, loyalties and perceptions, and the study of the mentalities of the people is of urgent relevance for the development of adequate policies in the area.

Newspapers’ coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Eswatini: from distanciated re/presentations to socio-health panics

This paper examines the coverage and re/presentation of the coronavirus pandemic by two mainstream newspapers in the Kingdom of Eswatini, namely, the Times of Eswatini and the Eswatini Observer between January and June 2020. Framing and discourse analyses are used in the examination of news stories. The key to this study is how the coverage and re/presentation evolved as ‘new facts’ about the virus emerged. From being re/presented in a distanciated form to becoming a localised scare, the travelling of the virus in space and time and its profile in the newspapers are examined. When the virus began to enjoy widespread coverage, news stories focused on virus incidence and later started paying attention to the internal evolution of the virus and how the government was responding to it. The analysis shows that political indexing sustained the coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to political and official indexing, media coverage largely reproduced the views of those in power, especially the construction of lockdown regulations as rational and legitimate. The government and security officials characterised the coronavirus as an invading enemy that could only be defeated through ‘war’. The news media reproduced the war language of the government and security officials, and thus legitimised the lockdowns and security surveillance. In addition to regulatory interventions, the results reveal that the government and civil society initiated prayer and fasting sessions as part of response interventions. This paper concludes that health journalism pays less attention to health scares that are seen to be happening ‘elsewhere’. However, once the problems become local, the news value of proximity enables journalists to provide extensive coverage. In addition, the coverage of pandemics begins with increased coverage and panic, followed by constant attention and after some time, the stories leave front pages as journalism fatigue kicks in.

Towards emotional responsive mentoring of at-risk students in last-resort programs

Background Mentors guide students in their challenges at school and in life. At-risk students in last-resort programs who are at a high risk of leaving school unqualified are especially in need of highly competent and adaptive mentors. This study therefore aimed to identify mentor qualities as perceived by at-risk students and their mentors that meet students’ needs and mentors’ capabilities. Methods Face-to-face individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with students and mentors of two specialized programs in the Netherlands. Sensitizing concepts, derived from literature, were used to identify themes. Data analysis was conducted using thematic analyses and was validated by performing an audit. Results The mentor qualities that at-risk students and their mentors reported were classified in three different themes. Mentor tasks consisted of guiding and motivating students and providing them with tangible methods of support. Relationships between mentor and student were based on levels of respect, equality, and bonding. Characteristics of mentors related to empathy, care, and trust. Research implications Emotional responsiveness deserves further exploration as it appears to be an underlying concept of being a good mentor. Future research might explore mentor qualities in the context of other last-resort programs for at-risk students. Practical implications Findings implicate that mentors have to walk a tightrope between keeping professional distance and being sensitive, suggesting constant attention to their professional development is needed. Originality In the context of last-resort programs, an alternative perspective on mentoring at-risk students is outlined, based on perceptions of both students and mentors.

Morphometric assessment of spleen dimensions and its determinants among individuals living in Arba Minch town, southern Ethiopia

Introduction The spleen is a vital lymphoid soft organ that demands constant attention from the clinical point of view. It is a multi-dimensional organ that enlarges in its all dimensions during some disease condition. The detection of the spleen by palpation is not an indicator of an enlarged spleen because normal spleen may be palpable. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the morphometry of spleen dimensions and its determinants among individuals living in Arba Minch town by sonographic examinations. Methods and materials Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Arba Minch town from February 1 to March 30, 2020. Seven hundred and eight study participants were selected using a multi-stage systematic random sampling technique. Data were checked for completeness, edited, coded and entered into Epi-Data version 3.1 and exported to STATA software version 16 for analysis. Result The mean splenic length, width, thickness and volume were 10.24 cm, 4.79 cm, 3.93 cm, and 109.34 cm3, respectively. The mean spleen length, width, thickness and volumes among males were 10.64 cm, 4.92 cm, 4.05 cm and 119.81 cm3 and among females were 9.75 cm, 4.63 cm, 3.78 cm and 96.50 cm3 respectively. As age increased by one year the mean spleen length, width, thickness and volume was decreased by 0.032 cm, 0.018 cm 0.004 cm and 0.012 cm respectively. As height increased by 1 cm the mean spleen width and volume were increased by 0.096 cm and 0.052 cm respectively. As we go from male to female the mean spleen length decreased by 0.294 cm. Conclusion The spleen dimensions were higher in males than females. Splenic length was determined by age & sex, the spleen width was determined by age & height, the spleen volume was determined by age & height and the spleen thickness was determined by age.

Covid-19 and its relationship with kidney diseases: a scope review

Background: COVID-19 is an acute respiratory disease originally from China that emerged in December 2019 and quickly spread around the world, affecting 230,418.415 people, and causing 4,724,876 deaths. Coming from the coronavirus family, SARS-CoV-2 is a new subtype of virus that affects the respiratory tract in different levels and can spread and affect other vital structures in the body. Objective: To identify the risk factors that lead patients infected by the new coronavirus to develop kidney disease. Methods: This is a systematic review of the Scoping Review type (scope review), according to the method proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute, with the implementation of a checklist structured by PRISMA-ScR that contains 22 mandatory items. The following descriptors were used: coronavirus infection, acute kidney injury and risk factors in five databases, namely PudMed, Scopus, Embase, Virtual Health Library and Web of Science. Results: While reading the studies, it was concluded that Acute Kidney Injury was the main renal finding in patients contaminated by SARS-CoV-2. The risk factors for developing renal worsening in patients with COVID-19 were the extremes of age, race, sex, pre-existing diseases, and the disease evolution. Conclusion: It is assumed that renal involvement does not occur only for an exclusive reason, but as a set of factors. It is up to the health team to pay constant attention to the warning signs by monitoring the contaminated patient.

Challenging Valuations: How Rankings Navigate Contestation

Accounts of why rankings are pervasive features of the modern world focus mostly on their properties as valuation devices that, upon entering the public sphere, exert pressure on the ranked. In doing so, however, research tends to overlook the important role played by the different types of organizations that produce rankings. To remedy this, the article draws from a qualitative study consisting of semi-structured interviews with members of these organizations to show that they put a great deal of effort into addressing and responding to different kinds of criticism. Working towards building and maintaining the credibility of rankings is thus revealed to require constant attention by their producers, who devise multiple procedures and rhetorical strategies to this end.

A Cross-sectional Survey of Urban and Rural Residents' Perceptions About the Medical System Services in a Middle Province of China

Background: To investigate urban and rural residents' perceptions on the issue of "difficult access to quality medical services and expensive medical bills" (difficult and expensive medical services) 10 years after the implementation of medical and health care system reform in China.Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of residents in a middle province of China. Multi-stage stratified random sampling was utilized to sample a total of 1968 residents of three cities in the middle province in July 2019. Results: Residents in the province were highly satisfied with the solution of "difficult and expensive medical services", with the satisfaction rate reaching 70%. However, satisfaction differed among the surveyed cities. 83.4% of the residents reported "difficult and expensive medical services"as their current major concern. Complex medical procedures (31.25%) and high inspection costs (51.68%) were the main reasons for "difficult and expensive medical services". Other reasons include the provision of medical and health resources, the service awareness of medical and health care personnel, people's health needs, and the perceptions of health, etc. Conclusions: The issue of "difficult and expensive medical services" is a social issue requiring constant attention.

Sodium-ion battery technology: Advanced anodes, cathodes and electrolytes

The development of electric vehicles has made massive progress in recent years, and the battery part has been receiving constant attention. Although lithium-ion battery is a powerful energy storage technology contemporarily with great convenience in the field of electric vehicles and portable/stationary storage, the scantiness and increasing price of lithium have raised significant concerns about the battery’s developments; an alternative technology is needed to replace the expensive lithium-ion batteries at use. Therefore, the sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) were brought back to life. Sharing a similar mechanism as the lithium-ion batteries makes SIBs easier to understand and more effective in the research. In recent years, the developed materials for anode and cathode in the SIB have extensively promoted its advancements in increasing the energy density, power rate, and cyclability; multiple types of electrolytes, either in the form of aqueous, solid, or ions, offers safety and stability. Still, to rival the lithium-ion batteries, the SIB needs much more work to improve its performance, further expanding its application. Overall, the SIB has tremendous potential to be the future leading battery technology because of its abundance.