A robust vision-based method for staircase detection and localization

A robust vision-based staircase identification method is proposed, which comprises 2D staircase detection and 3D staircase localization. The 2D detector pre-screens the input image, and the 3D localization algorithm continues the task of retrieving geometry of the staircase on the reported region in the image. A novel set of principal component analysis-based Haar-like features are introduced, which extends the classical Haar-like features from local to global domain and are extremely efficient at rejecting non-object regions for the early stages of the cascade, and the Viola–Jones rapid object detection framework is improved to adapt the context of staircase detection, modifications have been made on the scanning scheme, multiple detections integrating scheme and the final detection evaluation metrics. The V-disparity concept is applied to detect the planar regions on the staircase surface and locate 3D planes quickly from disparity maps, and then, the 3D position of staircase is localized robustly. Finally, experiments show the performance of the proposed method.     

The Protective Effects of Religious Beliefs on Behavioral Health Factors Among Low Income African American Adolescents in Chicago

Religious involvement has long been argued to have protective effects for negative behavioral health outcomes for vulnerable youth. This study builds on the existing resilience literature and need for more studies that examine protective factors associated with behavioral health. A sample of 638 low-income African American adolescents in Chicago to examine within group variations of the influence of religious involvement on delinquency, school engagement, substance use and sexual risk behaviors, and whether such relationships differ by gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Logistic regression findings documented that greater religious involvement was protective with regards to lower rates of delinquency, drug use, risky sexual behaviors and higher rates of school engagement, and that gender, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status varied for several of these relationships. Overall findings are discussed with regards to future research.     

Perceived Perfectionism from God Scale: Development and Initial Evidence

In this study, the Perceived Perfectionism from God Scale (PPGS) was developed with Latter-day Saints (Mormons) across two samples. Sample 1 (N = 421) was used for EFA to select items for the Perceived Standards from God (5 items) and the Perceived Discrepancy from God (5 items) subscales. Sample 2 (N = 420) was used for CFA and cross-validated the 2-factor oblique model as well as a bifactor model. Perceived Standards from God scores had Cronbach alphas ranging from .73 to .78, and Perceived Discrepancy from God scores had Cronbach alphas ranging from .82 to .84. Standards from God scores were positively correlated with positive affect, whereas Discrepancy from God scores was positively correlated with negative affect, shame and guilt. Moreover, these two PPGS subscale scores added significant incremental variances in predicting associated variables over and above corresponding personal perfectionism scores.     

The Relationship Between Racial Identity Status Attitudes and Acculturation Among Chinese and Korean Americans: A Criterion Profile Analysis

This study tested the relationship between racial identity and acculturation among 223 Asian Americans self‐identifying as Chinese American or Korean American. Findings showed within‐group variations among the study participants with regard to their racial identity status attitudes and acculturation. Using criterion profile analysis, the authors found 2 distinctive criterion profiles of racial identity status attitudes that significantly related to higher levels of acculturation among Chinese American and Korean American participants. Implications for multicultural counseling, racial identity, and acculturation research are discussed. Este estudio puso a prueba la relación entre identidad racial y aculturación entre 223 individuos asiático‐americanos que se identifican a sí mismos como chino‐americanos o coreano‐americanos. Los resultados mostraron variaciones dentro del miso grupo entre los participantes del estudio en cuanto a su aculturación y sus actitudes hacia el estatus de su identidad racial. Usando un análisis de perfil de criterio, los autores encontraron 2 perfiles de criterio distintivos para las actitudes hacia el estatus de identidad racial que estaban relacionados significativamente con niveles más altos de aculturación entre los participantes chino‐americanos y coreano‐americanos. Se discuten las implicaciones para investigaciones sobre consejería multicultural, identidad racial y aculturación.     

人之“类”规定的意义——评高清海的“类哲学”

高清海提出人之"类"(Gattung)规定的土壤是德国古典哲学,因此对他的"类哲学"的考察需要将"类"概念纳入到从费尔巴哈、施蒂纳再到马克思的思想脉络中,从这一思想脉络中去说明"类"概念作为人之规定的意义。同时,马克思和高清海的"类"规定的核心,在于从个别性出发去说明与普遍性的统一以及从个体出发去解释"类"的生成,这是他们在人之"类"规定上所做出的独特贡献。其中,黑格尔的人的自我形成思想对他们以劳动实践来说明人的本质的形成发挥了决定性的影响。本文希望重新唤起人们对高清海的"类哲学"以及马克思人学理论的关注。     

中国医学史研究热点及发展态势——近五年中国医学史论文的可视化分析

为了解近五年中国医学史研究热点和发展态势,利用可视化软件对近五年中国医学史文献进行可视化分析。医学史学科为医学与史学跨学科专业,医学界与史学界间虽有融通交流,但研究界限仍较为分明。研究者应打破人为划分的学科分界线,将其他学科的理论融入医学史研究。高校应鼓励不同学科交互深造,创建研究集群以及培养体系,进行多学科交叉研究。在研究方向中,传统医学史与医疗社会文化史的碰撞和融合在未来将会是十分重要的发展趋势,借鉴瘟疫史研究的思路,从医疗社会史的角度探究其他疾病和现今尖锐的医疗问题或可成为未来的研究热点之一。

     

比较视阈的中美医学伦理学教学——以武汉大学与芝加哥大学为例

中美两国都很重视医者人文素质的培养, 都重视医学伦理学教学。在与芝加哥大学的交流活动中, 武汉大学积极总结经验, 锐意改革, 取得了若干成果。其值得推广的经验包括:注重医学伦理教育的持续性, 构建长效教育机制;注重医学基础课程的道德教化功能, 形成隐性的医德渗透机制;注重临床医生的参与, 确立理论与实践的融通机制;审视中国传统文化特色与医疗现状, 培育域外教学方法的本土化机制;重视医学伦理学学科建设, 建立生命伦理学与医学伦理学的整合机制。     

美国补充与替代医疗体系的变迁及公众影响力

基于美国对补充与替代医学 (Complementary and Alternative Medicine, CAM) 的政策性文件, 结合美国亚马逊公司旗下产品"亚马逊 (美国) "的CAM图书的种类分布和销量情况, 以及美国公民使用CAM疗法的调查数据, 梳理了美国CAM体系变迁及公众影响力。美国政府对CAM的政策及体系界定经历了数次变迁。中医等传统医学及部分疗法在CAM体系内的归类发生过变化。部分CAM疗法被吸纳入美国医疗卫生保健体系。CAM在美国公众中有着巨大影响力。中医在美国的公众影响力主要在于针灸疗法, 且影响力在CAM疗法中并不突出。