A video-based real-time vehicle detection method by classified background learning

A new two-level real-time vehicle detection method is proposed in order to meet the robustness and efficiency requirements of real world applications. At the high level, pixels of the background image are classified into three categories according to the characteristics of Red, Green, Blue (RGB) curves. The robustness of the classification is further enhanced by using
line detection and pattern connectivity. At the lower level, an exponential forgetting algorithm with adaptive parameters for different categories is utilised to calculate the background and reduce the distortion by the small motion of video cameras. Scene tests show that the proposed method is more robust and faster than previous methods, which is very suitable for real-time vehicle detection in outdoor environments, especially concerning locations where the level of illumination changes frequently and speed detection is important.

Thats classified: class politics and adolescence in twin peaks

Twin Peaks arguably paved the way for the television programmes currently popular with adolescent audiences, like The OC and Veronica Mars and, in it, many of the issues and representational strategies in those later programmes have their earlier manifestation. Specifically, the Twin Peaks plotline evinces a set of cultural anxieties about class-difference. Twin Peaks creates a cultural microcosm of American society that is paradoxically writ large by the limited parameters of an isolated community. Within a constricted space, characters are depicted as both individuals and as archetypes of a class location.

Shut the decimal box - a mathematics dice game

The table-top game of Shut the Box is popular in Europe and England, but not well known in Australia. Sets can be purchased, but the game can be played with home-made equipment. A variant of the game which illustrates the standard rules, with a decimal twist to the scoring, is described. A list of the equipment required is also provided.

A semiotic view of Dewey's times and Habermas's lifeworlds

John Dewey (1859-1952) explained how life was ‘corporatised’ at the time of rampant, laissez faire capitalism in early 20th century America. This paper refers Dewey’s observations to Habermas’s notions of the colonisation of the lifeworld. The semiotic and pragmatist approaches of Charles Saunders Peirce are then enlisted to look further into these lifeworld changes. The
paper suggests modifications to Habermas’s schema to bring it more in line with Dewey’s empirical account. It puts together a theoretically and empirically informed picture of the contemporary disruption to ways of living and the accompanying social and political instability. The paper then goes on to suggest how that instability appears to have been quelled by communicative means. These stages of: (1) stability; (2) disruption/instability; and (3) the regaining of stability are compared to Habermas’s notions of: (1) an original lifeworld; (2) colonisation of that lifeworld by the consequences of purposive rational activity; then (3) communicative action which ‘rebuilds’— that is which replaces or modifies or reforms or repairs—the disrupted lifeworld in order to create a new lifeworld. ‘Colonisation’ could be said to have provoked social instability. Notions of building a new ‘lifeworld’—a new cultural and psychic reference—could be said to correspond with attempts to resume social and political stability. The implication is that whatever the degree of purposive rationalism there is always a need for a return to some level of shared values and
understandings which imply communicative rationality. This ‘return’ or ‘counter-colonisation’ can be thought of as operating via a ‘lifeworld negotiation’ which might best be understood with reference to a Peircean based pragmatism-semiotic theory of human subjectivity. This paper
has been criticised for discussing “arguments” which: “would justify those who accommodated themselves to Nazism.” What this paper in fact tries to do is to use the concepts of the above three philosophers to try to account for the ways people think. This paper is not about justifying what philosophies people should hold. It is presumed that most readers are sensible and ethical and can make their own minds up in that respect. Rather it attempts to draw from Dewey, Habermas and Peirce to offer a characterisation of what philosophies might be argued to be held and to offer an explanation about how these modes of thinking might be said to have come into existence.
This paper rejects the notion that ones ‘will’ and thus the way one is able to think, is totally free and beyond the formative influences of the social-cultural context—including the influences of public relations and other persuasive discourse industries.

Dewey's democracy as the kingdom of God on earth

John Dewey has been portrayed as a sort of villain in Rosenow's (1997) article which appeared in this journal, apparently because he was unfairly opposed to God and to religion, and also because he deliberately usurped religious language to ‘camouflage’ his secular ideas. By drawing mainly upon similar sources but with some important additions, I wish to challenge the four major concerns raised in Rosenow's article and in doing so aim to offer an alternative interpretation. It is understood here that Dewey's approach to religion was not so much religious as it was ‘spiritual’ and while developing and changing throughout his writings, his ideas on spirituality nevertheless were thoroughly entwined with his other views, especially those dealing with education, science and democracy.

The educative value of Dewey's religious attitude for spirituality

John Dewey's 'religious attitude' has great potential for the educative development of children's spirituality. This is because it enables their spiritual understandings to become more intelligently composed - not just in a cognitive or hyper-rational sense, but as a way of being. This paper provides an outline of Dewey's approach, which is described as being democratic, inquiry based, and 'scientific'. Such an approach therefore offers a contrast to other more epistemologically focused curricula which attempt to educate a person's spirituality. In order to make the case for the potential educative value of such an attitude, a brief review of Dewey's approach to education shall be offered, in which the notions of inquiry, democracy, and 'science' shall be highlighted to make the case that such attributes might be necessary for spiritual education if the United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization's goal of attaining world peace is to ever become possible.

Low-SES students wrongly classified, but who cares?

Equity experts agree with research findings that the metrics for measuring socioeconomic status (SES) are problematic. But they disagree that it really matters.

Must Dewey and Kierkegaard’s inquiry for world peace be violent?

Amongst the many aims of education, surely the pursuit of global peace must be one of the most significant.The mandate of UNESCO is to pursue world peace through education by primarily promoting collaboration.The sort of collaboration that UNESCO endorses involves democratic dialogue,where various persons from differing backgrounds can come together,listen,negotiate and discuss possible ways in which peace might be pursued.While this sort of democratic dialogue with its associated free intellectual inquiry is more readily acceptable for issues dealing with problems in the realm of physical nature, it is not so easily tolerated in the realm of ethics and values. Indeed inquiry into the realm of ethics by Kierkegaard has been described by Levinas to be a form of violence. Similarly John Dewey’s work has been included in a list of the ten most harmful books by some conservatives in the United States because he promoted inquiry into morals and religion. Dewey argued against the assumption that there are two-realms—one physical and one moral.He and Kierkegaard both encouraged democratic inquiry into ethics,which is the sort of collaboration recognised by UNESCO as being necessary if we are to pursue world peace.Yet such investigations can be considered by some to be violent and harmful. It is argued here that pursuing inquiries into ethics and aims of education,while appearing to challenge the status quo, should not be construed as being violent but rather should be understood as democratic and educative.

Understanding decimal numbers : a foundation for correct calculations

This paper reports on the effectiveness of an intervention designed to improve nursing students’ conceptual understanding of decimal numbers. Results of recent intervention studies have indicated some success at improving nursing students’ numeracy through practice in applying procedural rules for calculation and working in real or simulated practical contexts. However, in this we identified a fundamental problem: a significant minority of students had an inadequate understanding of decimal numbers. The intervention aimed to improve nursing students’ basic understanding of the size of decimal numbers, so that, firstly, calculation rules are more meaningful, and secondly, students can interpret decimal numbers (whether digital output or results of calculations) sensibly. A well-researched, time-efficient diagnostic instrument was used to identify individuals with an inadequate understanding of decimal numbers. We describe a remedial intervention that resulted in significant improvement on a delayed post-intervention test. We conclude that nurse educators should consider diagnosing and, as necessary, plan for remediation of students’ foundational understanding of decimal numbers before teaching procedural rules.

Zeroes of Riemann's zeta function on the critical line with 20000 decimal digits accuracy

The first 12000 zeroes of Riemann's zeta function on the critical line with 20000 decimal digits accuracy. Format: the zeroes are in text file listed consecutively in decimal representation, each zero starts on a new line.

Zeroes of zeta function presented in this file were calculated on MASSIVE cluster (www.massive.org.au) using Python and packages MPmath version 0.17 and gmpy version 2.1, with a Newton based algorithm proposed by Fredrik Johansson with precision set to 20000 decimal digits. Partial recalculation with higher precision didn't show any loss of accuracy so we expect that the values are correct up to, possibly, a few last digits. We express our thanks to Fredrik Johansson for this algorithm and for development of MPmath as well.

Zeroes of Riemann's zeta function on the critical line with 40000 decimal digits accuracy

The project aims at computing Riemann's zeroes with high accuracy through an analysis of large determinants using Matyasievich's Artless method. Location of Riemann's zeroes is the famous 8th Hilbert problem, and one of Clay's Institute millennium problems.

Zeros of Dirichlet L-functions on the critical line with the accuracy of 40000 decimal places

The zeros of Dirichlet L-functions for various moduli and characters are being computed with very high accuracy on a cluster of workstations at Deakin University. This collection is growing to include more zeros (other moduli and characters).