•Probabilistic particle tracking by multi-sensor data fusion and Bayesian smoothing.•Integration of multiple measurements from separate measurement processes.•Past and future information exploited by ...smoothing and covariance intersection.•Motion information employed in the cost function for correspondence finding.•Improved results for microscopy image data of different types of viruses.
Automatic tracking of viral structures displayed as small spots in fluorescence microscopy images is an important task to determine quantitative information about cellular processes. We introduce a novel probabilistic approach for tracking multiple particles based on multi-sensor data fusion and Bayesian smoothing methods. The approach exploits multiple measurements as in a particle filter, both detection-based measurements and prediction-based measurements from a Kalman filter using probabilistic data association with elliptical sampling. Compared to previous probabilistic tracking methods, our approach exploits separate uncertainties for the detection-based and prediction-based measurements, and integrates them by a sequential multi-sensor data fusion method. In addition, information from both past and future time points is taken into account by a Bayesian smoothing method in conjunction with the covariance intersection algorithm for data fusion. Also, motion information based on displacements is used to improve correspondence finding. Our approach has been evaluated on data of the Particle Tracking Challenge and yielded state-of-the-art results or outperformed previous approaches. We also applied our approach to challenging time-lapse fluorescence microscopy data of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and hepatitis C virus proteins acquired with different types of microscopes and spatial-temporal resolutions. It turned out, that our approach outperforms existing methods.
Povezanost i medudjelovanje izvrnih funkcija i teorije uma dosad nisu jasno definirani u psiholokim istraivanjima. Izvrne funkcije i teorija uma "igraju " znacajnu ulogu u razvoju pojedinca i to ...pocevi od jednostavnih obrazaca ponaanja dojenceta pa do razvoja matovite igre i autonomije djece, sve do planiranja i organizacije karijere i obitelji u ranoj odrasloj dobi. Cilj ovog rada bio je ispitati odnos odabranih aspekata izvrnih funkcija (inhibicijske kontrole, radnog pamcenja i kognitivne fleksibilnosti) i teorije uma za djecu u dobi cetiri i pet godina te utvrditi koji od njih ima najvecu prediktivnu vrijednost za postignuce na zadacima teorije uma. Kako bi se utvrdio meduodnos izvrnih funkcija i teorije uma u djece predkolske dobi, na uzorku od 203 djece dobi cetiri i pet godina individualno je primijenjen niz zadataka za procjenu izvrnih funkcija (CANTAB baterija testava) i teorije uma (NEPSY-II baterija testava). Rezultati su pokazali da je verbalno rodno pamcenje znacajan prediktor teorije uma za djecu u dobi od cetiri godine, a verbalno radno pamcenje i kognitivna fleksibilnost znacajni su prediktori teorije uma u dobi od pet godina. Pritom je verbalno radno pamcenje najsnaniji pojedinacni prediktor teorije uma za obje dobne skupine. Zakljucno razvoj u predkolskoj dobi vrlo je dinamican; kognitivne se funkcije u funkciji kronoloke dobi diferenciraju i restrukturiraju, a odnos izmedu varijabli izvrnih funkcija i teorije uma tijekom razvoja se mijenja. Kljucne rijeci: izvrne funkcije, teorija uma, predkolska dob The connection and interaction between executive functions and theory of mind have not yet been clearly defined in psychological research. Executive functions and theory of mind play a significant role in the development of the individual, starting from simple patterns of infant behaviour to the development of imaginative play and autonomy of children, through to planning and organising careers and families in early adulthood. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between selected aspects of executive functions (inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) and theory of mind for children aged four and five, and to determine which aspect has the greatest value for predicting achievement in tasks involving the theory of mind. In order to determine the relationship between executive functions and theory of mind in preschool children, a set of tasks was applied individually to a sample of 203 children aged four and five. Executive functions were evaluated using the CANTAB test battery, and theory of mind was assessed using the NEPSY-II test battery. Verbal working memory was a significant predictor of theory of mind in children as young as four, and verbal working memory and cognitive flexibility were significant predictors of theory of mind at the age of five. At both ages, verbal working memory was the strongest single predictor of theory of mind. These results suggest that pre-school development is very dynamic, cognitive functions differentiate and restructure with age, and the relationship between variables of executive functions and theory of mind changes during development. Keywords: executive functions, theory of mind, preschool age
Kada je rijec o odgoju i obrazovanju djece s tekocama u razvoju, smatra se optimalnim njihovo ukljucivanje u redovne programe ranog i predkolskog odgoja i obrazovanja. Kako bi se to postiglo, ...potrebno je zadovoljiti odredene preduvjete kvalitete koji se u prvome redu odnose na procesualne i strukturalne aspekte ranog i predkolskog odgoja i obrazovanja. Stavovi odgojitelja prema djeci s tekocama u razvoju i ukljucivanju u programe djecjih vrtica opcenito, svrstavaju se u procesualne cimbenike. Poznavanje izvora negativnih stavova prema djeci s tekocama u razvoju, koji su jedan od najvecih izazova pri njihovu ukljucivanju, omogucuje razumijevanje prirode stavova, daje smjernice za njihovo preciznije mjerenje te upucuje na stvaranje promjena u sustavu koje ce stvoriti pozitivnije ozracje i kvalitetniji proces ukljucivanja. Cilj je ovog rada bio ispitati stavove odgojitelja o ukljucivanju djece s tekocama u razvoju u redove programe ranog i predkolskog odgoja i obrazovanja u Republici Hrvatskoj s obzirom na njihovu dob, razinu naobrazbe, godine radnog staa (i godine rada u struci), velicinu mjesta u kojemu su zaposleni te njihova iskustva u radu s djecom s tekocama u razvoju. Sudionici istraivanja bili su odgojitelji (N = 333) iz cetrnaest ustanova ranog i predkolskog odgoja i obrazovanja u Republici Hrvatskoj. Podaci su prikupljeni pomocu upitnika ' 'Miljenja o integraciji ucenika/studenata s invaliditetom " (engl. ' 'Opinions Relative to Integration of Students with Disabilities ", ORI) koji je preveden na hrvatski jezik i prilagoden za ovu populaciju sudionika. Prema rezultatima istraivanja vidljivo je da sudionici opcenito imaju neutralne ili blago negativne stavove prema ukljucivanju. Sudionici starije dobi, srednje i vie strucne spreme te oni koji rade u manjim sredinama imaju pozitivnije stavove prema ukljucivanju. Dobiveni rezultati mogu posluiti kao polazite za daljnje propitivanje inkluzivne problematike te potaknuti razvoj programa cjeloivotnog ucenja za odgojitelje u ustanovama ranog i predkolskog odgoja i obrazovanja. Kljucne rijeci: stavovi, ukljucivanje djece s tekocama u razvoju, inkluzija, odgojitelji For children with developmental disabilities, inclusion in mainstream kindergartens is considered the most appropriate type of education. To achieve this goal, certain preconditions of education quality must be fulfilled, such as process and structural aspects of early education quality. Staff attitudes on inclusion of children with disabilities, and inclusion in general, are one of the process preconditions. Knowing the main sources of negative attitudes towards children with disabilities, which are one of the biggest challenges in the inclusion process, enables understanding of the nature of attitudes, provides guidance for measuring those attitudes more accurately and improves the inclusion process. The aim of this research was to examine the attitudes of kindergarten teachers on the inclusion process in mainstream kindergartens in the Republic of Croatia, and to analyse how those attitudes depended on teacher age, education level, work experience (and years of work in the profession), size of the place of employment, and experience working with children with developmental disabilities. The research participants were kindergarten teachers (N=333) in 14 kindergartens offering a full-time programme in the Republic of Croatia. Data were collected with the Opinions Relative to Integration of Students with Disabilities (ORI) questionnaire, which had been translated to Croatian and adapted for this population. Most participants had neutral or mildly negative attitudes toward inclusion. More positive attitudes toward inclusion were associated with older age, lower education level, and smaller work environment. These results can be a starting point for further analysis of inclusive issues and the development of lifelong learning programmes for kindergarten teachers in preschool settings. Key words: attitudes, inclusion of children with disabilities, preschool/kindergarten teachers
Naturalistic inquiry was used to compare the characteristics of families of origin of homeless women with never-homeless women. The women’s experiences in their families of origin were explored ...during in-depth interviews using Lofland and Lofland’s conceptions of meanings, practices, episodes, roles, and relationships to guide the analysis. The two groups were similar with respect to family abuse history, transience, and loss. The never-homeless women had support from an extended family member who provided unconditional love, protection, a sense of connection, and age-appropriate expectations, as contrasted with homeless women who described themselves as being without, disconnected, and having to be little adults in their families of origin. The experience of family love and connection seemed to protect never-homeless women from the effects of traumatic life events in childhood. These findings provide support for the influence of a woman’s family of origin as a precursor to homelessness.
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