title
stringlengths 8
300
| abstract
stringlengths 0
10k
|
|---|---|
Improving search engines by query clustering | search engine queries whose aim is to identify groups of queries used to search for similar information on the Web. The framework is based on a novel term vector model of queries that integrates user selections and the content of selected documents extracted from the logs of a search engine. The query representation obtained allows us to treat query clustering similarly to standard document clustering. We study the application of the clustering framework to two problems: relevance ranking boosting and query recommendation. Finally, we evaluate with experiments the effectiveness of our approach. |
Computer-aided maintenance management systems selection based on a fuzzy AHP approach | Computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) are common in today’s industries. CMMS can bring a large number of benefits, which include increased productivity, reduced costs, and effective utilization of the assets in any manufacturing and service producer. The list of CMMS that are available in the market has grown very rapidly during the last years. When purchasing a system, one that suits the specific needs and objectives of the company’s maintenance operations should be preferred. Several selection methods were proposed in literature. Up to now, no article has considered ambiguity and uncertainty factors when selecting effective CMMS. In addition, CMMS selection decisions involve the simultaneous consideration of multiple criteria, including tangible and intangible factors; prioritizing these factors can be a great challenge and a complex task. Therefore, no attempt has been made to incorporate fuzziness into multicriteria decision-making in the area of CMMS selection. This work proposes a fuzzy–based methodology for comparative evaluation of a number of CMMS alternatives. The proposal is based on the well-known multicriteria decision method called Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with triangular numbers. An example is given to illustrate the proposed methodology. Finally, a software prototype for implementing this method was implemented. To illustrate and validate the proposed approach and the software prototype developed some details are presented and discussed. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
Phase II study of theophylline in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a study of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (E4998) | The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performed a phase 2 study in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) of oral theophylline, a methylxanthine that inhibits cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases, thereby inducing the intracellular accumulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). In 25 patients with Rai stages 0–I, theophylline, 200 mg given orally every 12 h was well tolerated. There was one complete response after 22.5 months of treatment, which continues at 27+ months, and 18 other patients had stable disease. In vitro exposure of patients' lymphocytes to aminophylline (75–250 μg/ml), the soluble form of theophylline, resulted in dose- and time-dependent induction of apoptosis in 9/20 patients studied. Apoptosis was documented flow-cytometrically by monitoring the expression of bcl-2 and bax, forward light scatter, fluorescence intensity of binding of CD45 antibody, and the binding of annexin. Patients whose leukemic lymphocytes were susceptible to apoptosis induction by aminophylline in vitro experienced a significantly longer progression-free survival than patients whose cells were resistant to the drug in culture (P=0.025). This suggests that in a CLL population treated with theophylline, induction of an apoptotic response to the drug in vitro is prognostic for absence of clinical progression. |
Intrahepatic portal-hepatic venous anastomosis: a portal-systemic shunt with neurological repercussions | Intrahepatic shunts are rarely diagnosed as a cause of neurocognitive abnormality. A complaint of fatigue led to the diagnosis of a right portal vein–hepatic vein aneurysmal communication in a 23-yr-old, otherwise healthy woman. Neuropsychological testing, imaging, and MR spectroscopy revealed changes similar to those described in patients with cirrhosis and subclinical hepatic encephalopathy. T1-weighted MRI showed a hyperintense globus pallidus, a feature seen in subjects with and without portal-encephalopathy. Portal-systemic shunting in the absence of parenchymal liver disease reproduces neurological features described in cirrhosis. |
[New drugs of abuse on the Web: the role of the Psychonaut Web Mapping Project]. | In the rapid change of drug scenarios, as the powerful development in the drug market, particularly in the number and the kind of the compound available, Internet plays a dominant role to become one of the major "drug market". The European Commission funded the Psychonaut Web Mapping Project (carried out in the time-frame January 2008-December 2009), with the aim to start/implement an Early Warning System (through the data/information collected from the Web virtual market), to identify and categorise novel recreational drugs/psychoactive compounds (synthetical/herbal drugs), and new trends in drug use to provide information for immediate and prevention intervention. The Psychonaut is a multi-site research project involving 8 research centres (De Sleutel, Belgium; University of Hertfordshire School of Pharmacy, St George's University of London, England; A-klinikkasäätiö, Finlandia; Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Germany; Assessorato Salute Regione Marche, Italy; Drug Abuse Unit, Spain; Centre of Competence Bergen Clinics Foundation, Norway) based in 7 European Countries (England, Italy, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Spain, Norway). |
Combining HPLC-GCXGC, GCXGC/ToF-MS, and selected ecotoxicity assays for detailed monitoring of petroleum hydrocarbon degradation in soil and leaching water. | HPLC-GCXGC/FID (high-performance liquid chromatography followed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection) and GCXGC/ToF-MS (comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry) were used to study the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil microcosms during 20 weeks. Two soils were studied: one spiked with fresh diesel and one field sample containing weathered diesel-like oil. Nutrient amended and unamended samples were included. Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) levels in spiked soil decreased from 15,000 to 7,500 mg/kg d.m. and from 12,0O0 to 4,000 mg/kg d.m. in the field soil. Linear alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons were better biodegradable (>60% degraded) than iso-alkanes; cycloalkanes were least degradable (<40%). Aromatic hydrocarbons up to three rings showed better degradability than n-alkanes. GCXGC/ToF-MS analysis of leaching water showed that initially various oxygenated hydrocarbons were produced. Compound peaks seemed to move up and rightward in the GCXGC chromatograms, indicating that more polar and heavier compounds were formed as biodegradation proceeded. Nutrient amendment can increase TPH removal rates, but had adverse effects on ecotoxicity and leaching potential in our experiment This was explained by observed shifts in the soil microbial community. Ecotoxicity assays showed that residual TPH still inhibited cress (Lepidium sativum) seed germination, but the leaching water was no longer toxic toward luminescent bacteria (Vibrio fischeri). |
Results of induction chemotherapy in children older than 18 months with stage-4 neuroblastoma treated with an adaptive-to-response modified N7 protocol (mN7). | PURPOSE
We report the response rate in children older than 18 months with stage 4 Neuroblastoma, using a modified dose-intensive, response-adaptive, induction mN7 protocol.
METHODS
From 2005 to 2012, 24 patients were treated with the mN7 protocol. Phase 1 included five MSKCC N7 cycles and surgery and two high-dose cyclophosphamide-topotecan (HD-CT) cycles for those who did not achieve complete remission (CR) and negative bone marrow (BM) minimal residual disease (MRD) status (CR+MRD-). Phase 2 consisted of myeloablative doses of topotecan, thiotepa and carboplatin plus hyperfractionated RT. Phase 3 included isotretinoin and 3F8 immunotherapy plus GM-CSF. BM MRD was monitored using GD2 synthase, PHOX2B and cyclin D1 mRNAs.
RESULTS
After 3 cycles, all patients showed BM complete histological clearance and 6 (25 %) were MRD-. Twenty of 21 s-look surgeries achieved macroscopic complete resection. After 5 cycles and surgery, (123)I-MIBG scan was negative in 15 (62.5 %) cases, BM disease by histology was negative in 23 (96 %) and 10 (42 %) patients were MRD-. Twelve (50 %) pts were in CR, 2 in very good partial response (VGPR), 9 partial response (PR) and one had progressive disease. With 2 HD-CT extra cycles, 17 (71 %) pts achieved CR+MRD- status moving to phase 2. Overall and event-free survival at 3 years for the 17 patients who achieved CR+MRD- is 65 and 53 %, respectively, median follow-up 47 months. Seven (29 %) patients never achieved CR+MRD-. Univariate Cox regression analysis shows CR+MRD- status after mN7 induction as the only statistically significant prognostic factor to predict overall survival.
CONCLUSIONS
mN7 induction regimen produced a CR+MRD- rate of 71 %. CR+MRD- status following induction was the only predictive marker of long-term survival. |
The economic cost of physical inactivity in China. | OBJECTIVE
To estimate the total economic burden of physical inactivity in China.
METHOD
The costs of physical inactivity combine the medical and non-medical costs of five major Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) associated with inactivity. The national data from the Chinese Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Surveys (2007) and the National Health Service Survey (2003) are used to compute population attributable risks (PARs) of inactivity for each major NCD. Costs specific to inactivity are obtained by multiplying each disease costs by the PAR for each NCD, by incorporating the inactivity effects through overweight and obesity.
RESULTS
Physical inactivity contributes between 12% and 19% to the risks associated with the five major NCDs in China, namely coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Physical inactivity is imposing a substantial economic burden on the country, as it is responsible alone for more than 15% of the medical and non-medical yearly costs of the main NCDs in the country.
CONCLUSIONS
The high economic burden of physical inactivity implies the need to develop more programs and interventions that address this modifiable behavioral risk, in order to curb the rising NCDs epidemic in China. |
The Epi.q-1 Hybrid Mobile Robot | In this paper we propose an innovative solution for a small size hybrid mobile robot called Epi.q-1. Overall dimensions are about 160 mm 360 mm 280 mm (height length width). The Epi.q-1 robot moves on flat, steep or uneven ground. It can climb over obstacles or steps, even if they are non-uniform in size. Its operating mode adapts to ground conditions and changes accordingly: from rolling (on wheels) to stepping (on legs) thanks to its great mobility it can follow complex routes. It is easy to control with just a few actuators. Robot locomotion drive-generating units employ an original driving mechanism, where degrees of freedom (DOFs) can be limited to some extent according to the operating conditions or thanks to a switching device. Locomotion units consist of a motor linked to a gear (double epicyclical chain) and an axial device (mini-motor and lead screw system) able to lock or unlock some DOFs of the kinematic chain. Moreover, the robot locomotion unit can change its size, from small to large and vice versa, in order to be able to reach restricted spaces and to overcome even quite tall obstacles. It was experimentally tested on flat ground and slopes. It can overcome 90 mm obstacles, that are 72% of the height of the locomotion unit, and climb stairs. KEY WORDS—mobile robot, hybrid robot, wheel-legged locomotion, stair climbing, triple wheels The International Journal of Robotics Research Vol. 29, No. 1, January 2010, pp. 81–91 DOI: 10.1177/0278364909336806 c The Author(s), 2010. Reprints and permissions: http://www.sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav Figures 1–3, 6–12 appear in color online: http://ijr.sagepub.com |
Acute outcome of stent therapy for coarctation of the aorta: results of the coarctation of the aorta stent trial. | OBJECTIVES
The coarctation of the aorta stent trial (COAST) is a pivotal trial of the NuMED Cheatham Platinum Stent(®) for treatment of coarctation of the aorta (CoA).
BACKGROUND
CoA is a congenital obstruction to flow through the aorta. Stents have been used since the 1990s to treat CoA; none have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for this indication.
METHODS
In a prospective, multicenter study 105 patients received stents for treatment of CoA. Data was collected in the catheterization laboratory, on discharge and at 1-month postprocedure.
RESULTS
Of 105 patients, 69% were male; 57% had native CoA. Noninvasive, baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP) showed upper extremity (UE) SBP to be 140 ± 16 mm Hg and UE to lower extremity (LE) SBP difference 29 ± 17 mm Hg. At catheterization, baseline ratio of minimum CoA diameter to diameter of descending aorta (CoA:DAo) was 0.46 ± 0.16. Implants (104/105) were successful with one stent migration. There were no deaths or serious complications. Paradoxical hypertension occurred in 6%. Four percent of patients experienced somewhat serious adverse events related to the procedure. All patients achieved relief of ascending aorta to Dao pressure gradient: mean = 2.0 ± 4.0 mm Hg (P < 0.001). The CoA:DAo increased to 0.84 ± 0.18. At 1-month, UE SBP was 120 ± 12 mm Hg, UE to LE SBP difference = -1 ± 12 mm Hg. Ninety-nine percent of patients had UE to LE SBP difference <20 mm Hg.
CONCLUSIONS
Stenting of CoA, using the NuMED Cheatham Platinum Stent, is acutely safe and effective for treatment of CoA. |
Secure Length-Saving ElGamal Encryption under the Computational Diffie-Hellman Assumption | A design of secure and efficient public key encryption schemes under weaker computational assumptions has been regarded as an important and challenging task. As far as the ElGamal-type encryption is concerned, some variants of the original ElGamal encryption scheme whose security depends on weaker computational assumption have been proposed: Though the security of the original ElGamal encryption is based on the decisional Diffie-Hellman assumption (DDH-A), the security of recent schemes such as Pointcheval’s ElGamal encryption variant is based on the weaker assumption, the computational Diffie-Hellman assumption (CDH-A). In this paper, we propose a length-saving ElGamal encryption variant whose security is based on CDH-A and analyze its security in the random oracle model. Our scheme is length-efficient and provably secure which provides a shorter ciphertext than that of the Pointcheval’s scheme and a formal proof of security against the chosenciphertext attack. |
Couple-focused human immunodeficiency virus prevention for young Latino parents: randomized clinical trial of efficacy and sustainability. | OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy and sustainability of a couple-focused human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention intervention in reducing unprotected sex and increasing intent to use condoms and knowledge about AIDS.
DESIGN
Randomized controlled trial.
SETTING
Urban community settings in Southern California.
PARTICIPANTS
Primarily Latino couples (168 couples; 336 individuals) who were aged 14 to 25 years, English or Spanish speaking, and coparenting a child at least 3 months of age.
INTERVENTION
A 12-hour theory-based, couple-focused HIV prevention program culturally tailored for young Latino parents, with emphasis on family protection, skill building, and issues related to gender and power. The 1½-hour control condition provided basic HIV-AIDS information.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Primary outcome measures included self-report of condom use during the past 3 months; secondary, intent to use condoms and knowledge about AIDS.
RESULTS
The HIV prevention intervention reduced the proportion of unprotected sex episodes (odds ratio, 0.87 per month from baseline to 6 months; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82-0.93) and increased intent to use condoms (slope increase, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.04-0.37) at the 6-month follow-up; however, these effects were not sustained at 12 months. Knowledge about AIDS was increased in both groups from baseline to 6 months (slope estimate, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.47-0.67) and was maintained in the intervention group only through 12 months. Female participants in both groups had higher intent to use condoms and knowledge about AIDS than male participants (P ≤ .01).
CONCLUSIONS
The couple-focused HIV prevention intervention reduced risky sexual behaviors and improved intent to use condoms among young Latino parents at the 6-month evaluation. A maintenance program is needed to improve the sustainability of effects over time. |
Body composition monitoring and nutrition in maintenance hemodialysis and CAPD patients--a multicenter longitudinal study. | Hydration and nutritional status of end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients are linked to increased morbidity and mortality. Body composition monitoring (BCM) by multi-frequency bioimpedance spectroscopy (MFBS) is considered to be a superior modality of fluid assessment in chronic kidney disease (CKD) dialysis. We did a longitudinal prospective study in South India on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients over 24 months and looked at impact of baseline nutritional parameters and body composition parameters on 24-month mortality. Ninety-nine patients stable on dialysis for at least 3 months were recruited (MHD 85, CAPD 14) at baseline and at 24 months, 41 were alive and 33 had expired, 12 had undergone renal transplant and 13 were lost to follow-up. BCM and nutritional assessment were done at baseline and at follow-up. Baseline overhydration (OH) differed significantly between surviving and dead patients (p < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve between OH and mortality showed that the best cut-off point to differentiate between survived and expired patients was 3.15 L. ROC curve for BMI showed lower than cut-off of 22.65 kg/m(2) to predict mortality with sensitivity 41.30% and specificity 81.81%. At follow-up, triceps skin fold thickness (TSF), biceps skin fold thickness (BSF) and mid arm circumference (MAC) increased significantly from baseline (p < 0.001, p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Overhydration and BMI are important predictors of mortality in dialysis patients. Improvement in anthropometric markers TSF, BSF and MAC in MHD patients was associated with survival. |
Design and analysis of cross-fed rectangular array antenna; an X-band microstrip array antenna, operating at 11 GHz | In this paper, an X-Band Microstrip Patch antenna termed as the Cross fed rectangular array antenna has been presented with an enhanced radiation efficiency. The proposed antenna is designed and simulated using FEKO 5.5 suite. It is then fabricated on a 40 × 40mm2 Rogers RT-Duroid 5880LZ dielectric material board. This antenna is composed of a rectangular patch array in a cross fashion with four patches, each with a dimension of 12.3 mm × 9.85 mm excited using a wire-port. The antenna operates at a frequency of 11.458 GHz in the X-Band (8-12 GHz). It has achieved stable radiation efficiency of 80.71% with a gain of 7.4 dB at the operating frequency. It is thus inferred that this antenna can be used for X-Band applications such as in maritime navigation and airborne radars. |
A highly sensitive hydrogen sensor with gas selectivity using a PMMA membrane-coated Pd nanoparticle/single-layer graphene hybrid. | A polymer membrane-coated palladium (Pd) nanoparticle (NP)/single-layer graphene (SLG) hybrid sensor was fabricated for highly sensitive hydrogen gas (H2) sensing with gas selectivity. Pd NPs were deposited on SLG via the galvanic displacement reaction between graphene-buffered copper (Cu) and Pd ion. During the galvanic displacement reaction, graphene was used as a buffer layer, which transports electrons from Cu for Pd to nucleate on the SLG surface. The deposited Pd NPs on the SLG surface were well-distributed with high uniformity and low defects. The Pd NP/SLG hybrid was then coated with polymer membrane layer for the selective filtration of H2. Because of the selective H2 filtration effect of the polymer membrane layer, the sensor had no responses to methane, carbon monoxide, or nitrogen dioxide gas. On the contrary, the PMMA/Pd NP/SLG hybrid sensor exhibited a good response to exposure to 2% H2: on average, 66.37% response within 1.81 min and recovery within 5.52 min. In addition, reliable and repeatable sensing behaviors were obtained when the sensor was exposed to different H2 concentrations ranging from 0.025 to 2%. |
Pluralism and Proofs | Beall and Restall’s Logical Pluralism (2006) characterises pluralism about logical consequence in terms of the different ways cases can be selected in the analysis of logical consequence as preservation of truth over a class of cases. This is not the only way to understand or to motivate pluralism about logical consequence. Here, I will examine pluralism about logical consequence in terms of different standards of proof. We will focus on sequent derivations for classical logic, imposing two different restrictions on classical derivations to produce derivations for intuitionistic logic and for dual intuitionistic logic. The result is another way to understand the manner in which we can have different consequence relations in the same language. Furthermore, the proof-theoretic perspective gives us a different explanation of how the one concept of negation can have three different truth conditions, those in classical, intuitionistic and dual-intuitionistic models. |
On the implementation of input-feedforward delta-sigma modulators | This brief addresses some practical issues on the implementation of the input-feedforward delta-sigma modulators. First, the timing constraint imposed by the input-feedforward path is identified and a possible method to relax the constraint is proposed. Second, the drawbacks of the analog adder needed before the quantizer are explained and a method to eliminate the adder is proposed |
Integrated Terahertz Graphene Modulator with 100% Modulation Depth | 1 OPTIMUS, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798 Singapore. 2 School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. 3 Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, Singapore. CDPT, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798 Singapore. |
One-Shot Segmentation in Clutter | We tackle the problem of one-shot segmentation: finding and segmenting a previously unseen object in a cluttered scene based on a single instruction example. We propose a novel dataset, which we call cluttered Omniglot. Using a baseline architecture combining a Siamese embedding for detection with a U-net for segmentation we show that increasing levels of clutter make the task progressively harder. Using oracle models with access to various amounts of ground-truth information, we evaluate different aspects of the problem and show that in this kind of visual search task, detection and segmentation are two intertwined problems, the solution to each of which helps solving the other. We therefore introduce MaskNet, an improved model that attends to multiple candidate locations, generates segmentation proposals to mask out background clutter and selects among the segmented objects. Our findings suggest that such image recognition models based on an iterative refinement of object detection and foreground segmentation may provide a way to deal with highly cluttered scenes. |
High voltage direct current transmission - A Review, Part II - Converter technologies | This paper is the 2<sup>nd</sup> part of the survey titled “High Voltage Direct Current Transmission - A Review, Part I”. The main converter technologies and HVDC systems' components will be discussed in this complementary paper. |
Consistent Neighbourhood in a Tabu Search | We present a general approach for solving Constraint Optimization Problems. A Tabu Search is performed on a well-designed Consistent Neighbourhood built using Constraint Programming. After each variable assignment, the conflicting variables are deleted to maintain the consistency of the instantiated constraints. Hence, instead of allowing infeasible moves on complete configurations, it works on partial and consistent ones until a solution is found. This approach is successfully applied in solving real-life problems. Two ones are presented: the Frequency Assignment Problem with Polarization and the Agile Earth Observing Satellite Management Problem. |
Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors toward Structural Health Monitoring in Composite Materials: Challenges and Solutions | Nowadays, smart composite materials embed miniaturized sensors for structural health monitoring (SHM) in order to mitigate the risk of failure due to an overload or to unwanted inhomogeneity resulting from the fabrication process. Optical fiber sensors, and more particularly fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors, outperform traditional sensor technologies, as they are lightweight, small in size and offer convenient multiplexing capabilities with remote operation. They have thus been extensively associated to composite materials to study their behavior for further SHM purposes. This paper reviews the main challenges arising from the use of FBGs in composite materials. The focus will be made on issues related to temperature-strain discrimination, demodulation of the amplitude spectrum during and after the curing process as well as connection between the embedded optical fibers and the surroundings. The main strategies developed in each of these three topics will be summarized and compared, demonstrating the large progress that has been made in this field in the past few years. |
A lightweight robotic arm with pneumatic muscles for robot learning | Versatile motor skills for hitting and throwing motions can be observed in humans already in early ages. Future robots require high power-to-weight ratios as well as inherent long operational lifetimes without breakage in order to achieve similar perfection. Robustness due to passive compliance and high-speed catapult-like motions as possible with fast energy release are further beneficial characteristics. Such properties can be realized with antagonistic muscle-based designs. Additionally, control algorithms need to exploit the full potential of the robot. Learning control is a promising direction due to its the potential to capture uncertainty and control of complex systems. The aim of this paper is to build a robotic arm that is capable of generating high accelerations and sophisticated trajectories as well as enable exploration at such speeds for robot learning approaches. Hence, we have designed a light-weight robot arm with moving masses below 700 g with powerful antagonistic compliant actuation with pneumatic artificial muscles. Rather than recreating human anatomy, our system is designed to be easy to control in order to facilitate future learning of fast trajectory tracking control. The resulting robot is precise at low speeds using a simple PID controller while reaching high velocities of up to 12 m/s in task space and 1500 deg/s in joint space. This arm will enable new applications in fast changing and uncertain task like robot table tennis while being a sophisticated and reproducible test-bed for robot skill learning methods. Construction details are available. |
The role of the self in mindblindness in autism | Since its inception the 'mindblindness' theory of autism has greatly furthered our understanding of the core social-communication impairments in autism spectrum conditions (ASC). However, one of the more subtle issues within the theory that needs to be elaborated is the role of the 'self'. In this article, we expand on mindblindness in ASC by addressing topics related to the self and its central role in the social world and then review recent research in ASC that has yielded important insights by contrasting processes relating to both self and other. We suggest that new discoveries lie ahead in understanding how self and other are interrelated and/or distinct, and how understanding atypical self-referential and social-cognitive mechanisms may lead to novel ideas as to how to facilitate social-communicative abilities in ASC. |
Is Customer Relationship Management a Success Factor in Electronic Commerce? | Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a concept for increasing companies’ profitability by enabling them to identify and concentrate on their profitable customers. The term Electronic Commerce Customer Relationship Management (ECCRM) refers to the application of CRM in electronic commerce, i.e. when business relationships are maintained via the Internet or Worldwide Web. Previous studies on ECCRM implementations and their impact on businesses have often focused on the process level, technical aspects, or on marketing issues. However, viewed from a higher level, the effect on corporate success in electronic commerce is still unclear. The objective of our study is to examine this effect. Following a quantitative, indirect, and confirmatory methodology, we construct a covariance structure (or LISREL) model. We test our research hypotheses employing a data set comprising 469 cases of general companies, obtained from a representative survey of 1,308 companies in the German-speaking market. We also distinguish between Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) companies and control for the influence of company size and lag effects. We find that ECCRM is a critical success factor in electronic commerce, independent of companies’ time on the Web. It is especially critical for B2C and small companies. |
Handsfree Omnidirectional VR Navigation using Head Tilt | Navigating mobile virtual reality (VR) is a challenge due to limited input options and/or a requirement for handsfree interaction. Walking-in-place (WIP) is considered to offer a higher presence than controller input but only allows unidirectional navigation in the direction of the user's gaze--which impedes navigation efficiency. Leaning input enables omnidirectional navigation but currently relies on bulky controllers, which aren't feasible in mobile VR contexts. This note evaluates the use of head-tilt - implemented using inertial sensing - to allow for handsfree omnidirectional VR navigation on mobile VR platforms. A user study with 24 subjects compared three input methods using an obstacle avoidance navigation task: (1) head-tilt alone (TILT) (2) a hybrid method (WIP-TILT) that uses head tilting for direction and WIP to control speed; and (3) traditional controller input. TILT was significantly faster than WIP-TILT and joystick input, while WIP-TILT and TILT offered the highest presence. There was no difference in cybersickness between input methods. |
Overview of Full-Dimension MIMO in LTE-Advanced Pro | Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems with a large number of base station antennas, often called massive MIMO, have received much attention in academia and industry as a means to improve the spectral efficiency, energy efficiency, and processing complexity of next generation cellular systems. The mobile communication industry has initiated a feasibility study of massive MIMO systems to meet the increasing demand of future wireless systems. Field trials of the proof-of-concept systems have demonstrated the potential gain of the Full-Dimension MIMO (FD-MIMO), an official name for the MIMO enhancement in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). 3GPP initiated standardization activity for the seamless integration of this technology into current 4G LTE systems. In this article, we provide an overview of FD-MIMO systems, with emphasis on the discussion and debate conducted on the standardization process of Release 13. We present key features for FD-MIMO systems, a summary of the major issues for the standardization and practical system design, and performance evaluations for typical FD-MIMO scenarios. |
Quantifying training intensity distribution in elite endurance athletes: is there evidence for an "optimal" distribution? | This study was designed to quantify the daily distribution of training intensity in a group of well-trained junior cross-country skiers and compare the results of three different methods of training intensity quantification. Eleven male athletes performed treadmill tests to exhaustion to determine heart rate and VO2 corresponding to ventilatory thresholds (VT1, VT2), maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), and maximal heart rate. VT1 and VT2 were used to delineate three intensity zones. During the same time period, all training sessions (N=384, 37 strength training, 347 endurance) performed over 32 consecutive days were quantified using continuous heart rate registration and session Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE). In addition, a subset of 60 consecutive training sessions was quantified using blood lactate measurements. Intensity distribution across endurance training sessions (n=318) was similar when based on heart rate analysis (75+/-3%, zone 1; 8+/-3%, zone 2; 17+/-4%, zone 3) or session RPE (76+/-4%, zone 1; 6+/-5%, zone 2; 18+/-7%, zone 3). Similarly, from measurements of 60 consecutive sessions, 71% were performed with <or=2.0 mM blood lactate, 7% between 2 and 4 mM, and 22% with over 4 mM (mean=9.5+/-2.8 mM). In this group of nationally competitive junior skiers, training was organized after a polarized pattern, with most sessions performed clearly below (about 75%) or with substantial periods above (15-20%) the lactate accommodation zone, which is bounded by VT1 and VT2. The pattern quantified here is similar to that reported in observational studies of elite endurance athletes across several sports. It appears that elite endurance athletes train surprisingly little at the lactate threshold intensity. |
Automatic Cloud I/O Configurator for I/O Intensive Parallel Applications | As the cloud platform becomes a promising alternative to traditional HPC (high performance computing) centers or in-house clusters, the I/O bottleneck problem is highlighted in this new environment, typically with top-of-the-line compute instances but sub-par communication and I/O facilities. It has been observed that changing the cloud I/O system configurations, such as choices of file systems, number of I/O servers and their placement strategies, etc., will lead to a considerable variation in the performance and cost efficiency of I/O intensive parallel applications. However, storage system configuration is tedious and error-prone to do manually, even for expert users, leading to solutions that are grossly over-provisioned (low cost inefficiency), substantially under-performing (poor performance) or, in the worst case, both. This paper proposes ACIC, a system which automatically searches for optimized I/O system configurations from many candidates for each individual application running on a given cloud platform. ACIC takes advantage of machine learning models to perform performance/cost predictions. To tackle the high-dimensional parameter exploration space, we enable affordable, reusable, and incremental training on cloud platforms, guided by the Plackett and Burman Matrices for experiment design. Our evaluation results with four representative parallel applications indicate that ACIC consistently identifies optimal or near-optimal configurations among a large group of candidate settings. The top ACIC-recommended configuration is capable of improving the applications' performance by a factor of up to 10.5 (3.1 on average), and cost saving of up to 89 percent (51 percent on average), compared with a commonly used baseline I/O configuration. In addition, we carried out a small-scale user study for one of the test applications, which found that ACIC consistently beat the user and even the application's developer, often by a significant margin, in selecting optimized configurations. |
[Para-infectious seizures: A retrospective multicentre study]. | INTRODUCTION
Para-infectious seizures are afebrile seizures that are associated with mild infections, and occur in children with no pre-existing neurological illness. They are still little known in our environment.
METHODS
A multicentre retrospective study was conducted that included patients with normal psychomotor development and had presented with one or more seizures in the context of a mild afebrile infection.
RESULTS
A total of 38 patients (47% male, 53% female) were included in the study over a period of three years (2012-2015). The mean age was 2.1 years. A previous history of febrile seizures was found in 7.9% of them. Mean number of seizures per patient was 2.2, with 57.9% of them being tonic-clonic seizures. The mean duration of seizures was 3.2minutes. An EEG was performed during admission in 73.7% of cases. Lumbar punctures were performed in 34.2% of cases. All were normal. Neuroimaging tests were carried out in 36.9% of cases. Brain MRI was the imaging test performed in most cases (21.1%), with no any pathological findings. The most frequent infection found was acute gastroenteritis (68%), followed by upper respiratory tract infection (32%). Almost two-thirds (63.2%) of patients did not require anticonvulsant medication. Rectal diazepam was the most frequently used drug in emergencies. Intravenous medication was required by 28.9% of patients due to repeated seizures. The most frequently used drug in the non-emergency setting was valproic acid. Anticonvulsant treatment was continued after discharge in 16% of patients. Para-infectious seizures was the diagnosis in 76.3% of cases when discharged.
CONCLUSIONS
Knowledge of para-infectious seizures, their clinical diagnosis and benign course is crucial, as this would avoid further testing and unnecessary treatments. |
Ultra-fast NoC emulation on a single FPGA | Network-on-Chip (NoC) has become the de facto on-chip communication architecture for many-core systems. This paper proposes novel methods for emulating large-scale NoC designs on a single FPGA. Since FPGAs offer a highly parallel platform, FPGA-based emulation can be much faster than the software-based approach. However, emulating NoC designs with up to thousands of nodes is a challenging task due to the FPGA capacity constraints. We first describe how to accurately model synthetic workloads on FPGA by separating the time of the emulated network and the times of the traffic generation units. We next present a novel use of time-multiplexing in emulating the entire network using several physical nodes. Finally, we show the basic steps to apply the proposed methods to emulate different NoC architectures. The proposed methods enable ultrafast emulations of large-scale NoC designs with up to thousands of nodes using only on-chip resources of a single FPGA. In particular, more than 5,000× simulation speedup over BookSim, a widely used software-based NoC simulator, is achieved. |
Exploring Shared Structures and Hierarchies for Multiple NLP Tasks | Designing shared neural architecture plays an important role in multi-task learning. The challenge is that finding an optimal sharing scheme relies heavily on the expert knowledge and is not scalable to a large number of diverse tasks. Inspired by the promising work of neural architecture search (NAS), we apply reinforcement learning to automatically find possible shared architecture for multi-task learning. Specifically, we use a controller to select from a set of shareable modules and assemble a task-specific architecture, and repeat the same procedure for other tasks. The controller is trained with reinforcement learning to maximize the expected accuracies for all tasks. We conduct extensive experiments on two types of tasks, text classification and sequence labeling, which demonstrate the benefits of our approach. |
Explicit factor models for explainable recommendation based on phrase-level sentiment analysis | Collaborative Filtering(CF)-based recommendation algorithms, such as Latent Factor Models (LFM), work well in terms of prediction accuracy. However, the latent features make it difficulty to explain the recommendation results to the users. Fortunately, with the continuous growth of online user reviews, the information available for training a recommender system is no longer limited to just numerical star ratings or user/item features. By extracting explicit user opinions about various aspects of a product from the reviews, it is possible to learn more details about what aspects a user cares, which further sheds light on the possibility to make explainable recommendations.
In this work, we propose the Explicit Factor Model (EFM) to generate explainable recommendations, meanwhile keep a high prediction accuracy. We first extract explicit product features (i.e. aspects) and user opinions by phrase-level sentiment analysis on user reviews, then generate both recommendations and disrecommendations according to the specific product features to the user's interests and the hidden features learned. Besides, intuitional feature-level explanations about why an item is or is not recommended are generated from the model. Offline experimental results on several real-world datasets demonstrate the advantages of our framework over competitive baseline algorithms on both rating prediction and top-K recommendation tasks. Online experiments show that the detailed explanations make the recommendations and disrecommendations more influential on user's purchasing behavior. |
iPose : Instance-Aware 6 D Pose Estimation of Partly Occluded Objects Omid | We address the task of 6D pose estimation of known rigid objects from single input images in scenarios where the objects are partly occluded. Recent RGB-D-based methods are robust to moderate degrees of occlusion. For RGB inputs, no previous method works well for partly occluded objects. Our main contribution is to present the first deep learning-based system that estimates accurate poses for partly occluded objects from RGB-D and RGB input. We achieve this with a new instance-aware pipeline that decomposes 6D object pose estimation into a sequence of simpler steps, where each step removes specific aspects of the problem. The first step localizes all known objects in the image using an instance segmentation network, and hence eliminates surrounding clutter and occluders. The second step densely maps pixels to 3D object surface positions, so called object coordinates, using an encoder-decoder network, and hence eliminates object appearance. The third, and final, step predicts the 6D pose using geometric optimization. We demonstrate that we significantly outperform the state-of-the-art for pose estimation of partly occluded objects for both RGB and RGB-D input. |
Bi-directional conversion between graphemes and phonemes using a joint N-gram model | We present in this paper a statistical model for languageindependent bi-directional conversion between spelling and pronunciation, based on joint grapheme/phoneme units extracted from automatically aligned data. The model is evaluated on spelling-to-pronunciation and pronunciation-tospelling conversion on the NetTalk database and the CMU dictionary. We also study the effect of including lexical stress in the pronunciation. Although a direct comparison is difficult to make, our model’s performance appears to be as good or better than that of other data-driven approaches that have been applied to the same tasks. |
Author’s Reply to Srinivas: “Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Modeling of Filgotinib (GLPG0634), a Selective JAK1 Inhibitor, in Support of Phase IIB Dose Selection” | Background and Objectives Filgotinib (GLPG0634) is a selective inhibitor of Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) currently in development for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease. While less selective JAK inhibitors have shown long-term efficacy in treating inflammatory conditions, this was accompanied by dose-limiting side effects. Here, we describe the pharmacokinetics of filgotinib and its active metabolite in healthy volunteers and the use of pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic modeling and simulation to support dose selection for phase IIB in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods Two trials were conducted in healthy male volunteers. In the first trial, filgotinib was administered as single doses from 10 mg up to multiple daily doses of 200 mg. In the second trial, daily doses of 300 and 450 mg for 10 days were evaluated. Non-compartmental analysis was used to determine individual pharmacokinetic parameters for filgotinib and its metabolite. The overall pharmacodynamic activity for the two moieties was assessed in whole blood using interleukin-6-induced phosphorylation of signal-transducer and activator of transcription 1 as a biomarker for JAK1 activity. These data were used to conduct non-linear mixed-effects modeling to investigate a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationship. Results Modeling and simulation on the basis of early clinical data suggest that the pharmacokinetics of filgotinib are dose proportional up to 200 mg, in agreement with observed data, and support that both filgotinib and its metabolite contribute to its pharmacodynamic effects. Simulation of biomarker response supports that the maximum pharmacodynamic effect is reached at a daily dose of 200 mg filgotinib. Conclusion Based on these results, a daily dose range up to 200 mg has been selected for phase IIB dose-finding studies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. |
A 120 dB Dynamic Range 400 mW Class-D Speaker Driver With Fourth-Order PWM Modulator | High efficiency Class-D speaker drivers have become ubiquitous in battery driven mobile audio applications. Analog switching errors and timing jitter are known limitations to the dynamic range in these types of switching audio drivers. To overcome these limitations the Class-D architecture chosen in this paper provides a low 667 kHz pulse rate. This architecture is based on a 4th-order digital modulator with pulse-width modulation (PWM) feedback. The modulator loop processes the PWM signals at a high 24 MHz clock rate, and provides pulse edge timing resolution within a single clock period of the high-rate clock. Timing distortion errors due to uniform sampling of the low-rate PWM signals are reduced with the high forward loop gain of the digital modulator feedback loop. The driver receives a 22-bit digital audio input and combines the functionality of a high-fidelity digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with a speaker driver. It achieves 120 dB dynamic range over a 20 kHz bandwidth, provides 88% power efficiency while driving an 8 Ω speaker load, and consumes a total quiescent current of 2.4 mA. |
Product Quantization for Nearest Neighbor Search | This paper introduces a product quantization-based approach for approximate nearest neighbor search. The idea is to decompose the space into a Cartesian product of low-dimensional subspaces and to quantize each subspace separately. A vector is represented by a short code composed of its subspace quantization indices. The euclidean distance between two vectors can be efficiently estimated from their codes. An asymmetric version increases precision, as it computes the approximate distance between a vector and a code. Experimental results show that our approach searches for nearest neighbors efficiently, in particular in combination with an inverted file system. Results for SIFT and GIST image descriptors show excellent search accuracy, outperforming three state-of-the-art approaches. The scalability of our approach is validated on a data set of two billion vectors. |
Facial performance enhancement using dynamic shape space analysis | The facial performance of an individual is inherently rich in subtle deformation and timing details. Although these subtleties make the performance realistic and compelling, they often elude both motion capture and hand animation. We present a technique for adding fine-scale details and expressiveness to low-resolution art-directed facial performances, such as those created manually using a rig, via marker-based capture, by fitting a morphable model to a video, or through Kinect reconstruction using recent faceshift technology. We employ a high-resolution facial performance capture system to acquire a representative performance of an individual in which he or she explores the full range of facial expressiveness. From the captured data, our system extracts an expressiveness model that encodes subtle spatial and temporal deformation details specific to that particular individual. Once this model has been built, these details can be transferred to low-resolution art-directed performances. We demonstrate results on various forms of input; after our enhancement, the resulting animations exhibit the same nuances and fine spatial details as the captured performance, with optional temporal enhancement to match the dynamics of the actor. Finally, we show that our technique outperforms the current state-of-the-art in example-based facial animation. |
Anonymous Usage of Location-Based Services Through Spatial and Temporal Cloaking | Advances in sensing and tracking technology enable location-based applications but they also create significant privacy risks. Anonymity can provide a high degree of privacy, save service users from dealing with service providers’ privacy policies, and reduce the service providers’ requirements for safeguarding private information. However, guaranteeing anonymous usage of location-based services requires that the precise location information transmitted by a user cannot be easily used to re-identify the subject. This paper presents a middleware architecture and algorithms that can be used by a centralized location broker service. The adaptive algorithms adjust the resolution of location information along spatial or temporal dimensions to meet specified anonymity constraints based on the entities who may be using location services within a given area. Using a model based on automotive traffic counts and cartographic material, we estimate the realistically expected spatial resolution for different anonymity constraints. The median resolution generated by our algorithms is 125 meters. Thus, anonymous location-based requests for urban areas would have the same accuracy currently needed for E-911 services; this would provide sufficient resolution for wayfinding, automated bus routing services and similar location-dependent services. |
Caregiving, Metabolic Syndrome Indicators, and 1-year Decline in Walking Speed: Results of Caregiver-SOF | BACKGROUND
Chronic stress may lead to health decline through metabolic syndrome. Thus, persons in stressful caregiving situations who also have more indicators of metabolic syndrome may experience more decline than other caregivers or noncaregivers.
METHODS
The sample included 921 women (338 caregivers and 583 noncaregivers) from the Caregiver-Study of Osteoporotic Fractures study. Participants had home-based baseline and 1-year follow-up interviews between 1999 and 2003. At baseline, caregivers were categorized as long term ((3)4 years) versus short term (<4 years), and caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease/dementia or not. A metabolic risk composite score was the sum of four indicators: body mass index (3)30, and diagnosis or using medications for hypertension, diabetes, or high cholesterol. Walking speed (m/second) was measured at both interviews.
RESULTS
Walking speed declined for the total sample (adjusted mean = -0.005 m/second, +/-0.16) over an average of 1.04 years (+/-0.16). Overall, caregiving was not associated with decline. Increasing metabolic risk score was associated with greater decline for the total sample and long-term and dementia caregivers, but not other caregivers or noncaregivers. Metabolic risk score modified the adjusted associations between years of caregiving and dementia caregiving with walking speed decline (p values for interaction terms were 0.039 and 0.057, respectively). The biggest declines were in long-term caregivers and dementia caregivers who also had 3-4 metabolic indicators (-0.10 m/second and -0.155 m/second, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
Walking speed declined the most among older women who had both stressful caregiving situations and more metabolic syndrome indicators, suggesting these caregiver subgroups may have increased risk of health decline. |
The streamlined cognitive walkthrough method, working around social constraints encountered in a software development company | The cognitive walkthrough method described by Wharton et al. may be difficult to apply in a large software development company because of social constraints that exist in such companies. Managers, developers, and other team members are pressured for time, tend to lapse into lengthy design discussions, and are sometimes defensive about their user-interface designs. By enforcing four ground rules, explicitly defusing defensiveness, and streamlining the cognitive walkthrough method and data collection procedures, these social constraints can be overcome, and useful, valid data can be obtained. This paper describes a modified cognitive walkthrough process that accomplishes these goals, and has been applied in a large software development company. |
Z-Resolution: Theorem-Proving with Compiled Axioms | An improved procedure for resolution theorem proving, called Z-resolution, is described. The basic idea of Z-resolution is to “compile” some of the axioms in a deductive problem. This means to automatically transform the selected axioms into a computer program which carries out the inference rules indicated by the axioms. This is done automatically by another program called the specializer. The advantage of doing this is that the compiled axioms run faster, just as a compiled program runs faster than an interpreted program.
A proof is given that the inference rule used in Z-resolution is complete, provided that the axioms “compiled” have certain properties. |
When Switches Became Programs: Programming Languages and Telecommunications, 1965-1980 | Beginning in the mid-1960s, electromechanical telecommunications switches were increasingly replaced by computer-controlled switches. Production and development of this equipment relied on the construction of its software. This software was shaped by practices, ideas, and ideals appropriated from the computer industry and computer science as much as by concerns and constraints of the telecommunications industry itself. |
Don't mind me touching my wrist: a case study of interacting with on-body technology in public | Wearable technology, specifically e-textiles, offers the potential for interacting with electronic devices in a whole new manner. However, some may find the operation of a system that employs non-traditional on-body interactions uncomfortable to perform in a public setting, impacting how readily a new form of mobile technology may be received. Thus, it is important for interaction designers to take into consideration the implications of on-body gesture interactions when designing wearable interfaces. In this study, we explore the third-party perceptions of a user's interactions with a wearable e-textile interface. This two-prong evaluation examines the societal perceptions of a user interacting with the textile interface at different on-body locations, as well as the observer's attitudes toward on-body controller placement. We performed the study in the United States and South Korea to gain cultural insights into the perceptions of on-body technology usage. |
Mining Complex Data | In recent years, the complexity of data objects in data mining applications has increased as well as their plain numbers. As a result, there exist various feature transformations and thus multiple object representations. For example, an image can be described by a text annotation, a color histogram and some texture features. To cluster thesemulti-represented objects, dedicated datamining algorithms have been shown to achieve improved results. In this paper, we will therefore introduce a method for hierarchical density-based clustering of multi-represented objects which is insensitive w.r.t. the choice of parameters. Furthermore, we will introduce a theoretical model that allows us to draw conclusions about the interaction of representations. Additionally, we will show how these conclusions can be used for defining a suitable combination method for multiple representations. To back up the usability of our proposed method, we present encouraging results for clustering a real world image data set that is described by 4 different representations. |
Disruption of Large-Scale Brain Systems in Advanced Aging | Cognitive decline is commonly observed in advanced aging even in the absence of disease. Here we explore the possibility that normal aging is accompanied by disruptive alterations in the coordination of large-scale brain systems that support high-level cognition. In 93 adults aged 18 to 93, we demonstrate that aging is characterized by marked reductions in normally present functional correlations within two higher-order brain systems. Anterior to posterior components within the default network were most severely disrupted with age. Furthermore, correlation reductions were severe in older adults free from Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology as determined by amyloid imaging, suggesting that functional disruptions were not the result of AD. Instead, reduced correlations were associated with disruptions in white matter integrity and poor cognitive performance across a range of domains. These results suggest that cognitive decline in normal aging arises from functional disruption in the coordination of large-scale brain systems that support cognition. |
A Survey on Multicarrier Communications: Prototype Filters, Lattice Structures, and Implementation Aspects | Due to their numerous advantages, communications over multicarrier schemes constitute an appealing approach for broadband wireless systems. Especially, the strong penetration of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) into the communications standards has triggered heavy investigation on multicarrier systems, leading to re-consideration of different approaches as an alternative to OFDM. The goal of the present survey is not only to provide a unified review of waveform design options for multicarrier schemes, but also to pave the way for the evolution of the multicarrier schemes from the current state of the art to future technologies. In particular, a generalized framework on multicarrier schemes is presented, based on what to transmit, i.e., symbols, how to transmit, i.e., filters, and where/when to transmit, i.e., lattice. Capitalizing on this framework, different variations of orthogonal, bi-orthogonal, and non-orthogonal multicarrier schemes are discussed. In addition, filter designs for various multicarrier systems are reviewed considering four different design perspectives: energy concentration, rapid decay, spectrum nulling, and channel/hardware characteristics. Subsequently, evaluation tools which may be used to compare different filters in multicarrier schemes are studied. Finally, multicarrier schemes are evaluated from the perspective of practical implementation aspects, such as lattice adaptation, equalization, synchronization, multiple antennas, and hardware impairments. |
Human contour extraction from RGBD camera for action recognition | Spatio-temporal cuboid pyramid (STCP) for action recognition using depth motion sequences [1] is influenced by depth camera error which leads the depth motion sequence (DMS) existing many kinds of noise, especially on the surface. It means that the dimension of DMS is awfully high and the feature for action recognition becomes less apparent. In this paper, we present an effective method to reduce noise, which is to segment foreground. We firstly segment and extract human contour in the color image using convolutional network model. Then, human contour is re-segmented utilizing depth information. Thirdly we project each frame of the segmented depth sequence onto three views. We finally extract features from cuboids and recognize human actions. The proposed approach is evaluated on three public benchmark datasets, i.e., UTKinect-Action Dataset, MSRActionPairs Dataset and 3D Online Action Dataset. Experimental results show that our method achieves state-of-the-art performance. |
Temporal distortion for animated transitions | Animated transitions are popular in many visual applications but they can be difficult to follow, especially when many objects move at the same time. One informal design guideline for creating effective animated transitions has long been the use of slow-in/slow-out pacing, but no empirical data exist to support this practice. We remedy this by studying object tracking performance under different conditions of temporal distortion, i.e., constant speed transitions, slow-in/slow-out, fast-in/fast-out, and an adaptive technique that slows down the visually complex parts of the animation. Slow-in/slow-out outperformed other techniques, but we saw technique differences depending on the type of visual transition. |
Cumulative fatigue damage and life prediction theories : a survey of the state of the art for homogeneous materials | Fatigue damage increases with applied load cycles in a cumulative manner. Cumulative fatigue damage analysis plays a key role in life prediction of components and structures subjected to field load histories. Since the introduction of damage accumulation concept by Palmgren about 70 years ago and ‘linear damage rule’ by Miner about 50 years ago, the treatment of cumulative fatigue damage has received increasingly more attention. As a result, many damage models have been developed. Even though early theories on cumulative fatigue damage have been reviewed by several researchers, no comprehensive report has appeared recently to review the considerable efforts made since the late 1970s. This article provides a comprehensive review of cumulative fatigue damage theories for metals and their alloys. emphasizing the approaches developed between the early 1970s to the early 1990s. These theories are grouped into six categories: linear damage rules; nonlinear damage curve and two-stage linearization approaches; life curve modification methods; approaches based on crack growth concepts: continuum damage mechanics models: and energy-based theories. |
Target recognition by components for mobile robot navigation | This paper presents a vision-based technique for detecting targets of the environment which have to be reached by an autonomous mobile robot during its navigational tasks. The targets the robot has to reach are the doors of the authors’ office building. The detection of the door has been performed by detecting its most significant components in the image and it is based on data classification. Two neural classifiers have been trained for recognizing single components of the door. Then a combining algorithm, based on heuristic considerations, checks that they are in the proper geometric configuration of the structure of the door. The novelty of this work is to use together colour and shape information for identifying features and for detecting the components of the target. The approach, based on learning by components, is able to cleverly solve the problems of scale changes, perspective variations and partial occlusions. The obtained detecting system has been tested on a large test set of real images showing a high reliability and robustness: doors of different rooms, under different illumination conditions and by different viewpoints have been successfully recognized. Results in terms of door detection rate and false positive rate are presented throughout the paper. |
Formation of nanostructured YSZ/Ni anode with pore channels by plasma spraying | Abstract YSZ/Ni is the conventionally most used material for making the anode of a solid oxide fuel cell. Agglomerated nanostructured YSZ/NiO powders and plasma spray are applied to produce nanostructured YSZ/NiO coatings on porous support substrates. After reduction in an ambient atmosphere of 7% hydrogen and 93% argon at about 800 °C for 4 hours, a novel SOFC anode with nanostructured characteristics such as nano YSZ particles, nano Ni particles, nano pores and nano pore channels is produced. This new YSZ/Ni anode provides larger triple phase boundaries for hydrogen oxidation reactions. X-ray diffraction patterns of these YSZ/NiO coatings after 1 h of heat treatment at temperatures from 700 to 1100 °C are obtained and Scherrer analysis is conducted to study the effect of temperature on grain size. The results obtained from SEM, TEM, XRD and EDX measurements and analyses are presented in this investigation. |
Mate choice decisions: the role of facial beauty | For most people, facial beauty appears to play a prominent role in choosing a mate. Evidence from research on facial attractiveness indicates that physical beauty is a sexually selected trait mediated, in part, by pubertal facial hormone markers that signal important biological information about the displayer. Such signals would be ineffective if they did not elicit appropriate cognitive and/or emotional responses in members of the opposite sex. In this article, I argue that the effectiveness of these hormonal displays varies with perceivers' brains, which have been organized by the degree of steroid hormone exposure in the uterus, and activated by varying levels of circulating steroids following puberty. I further propose that the methodology used for examining mate choice decisions has general applicability for determining how cognitive and emotional evaluations enter into decision processes. |
A Theory of Private vs. Public Placements in Public Firms | This paper studies a public firm's investment decision and whether to raise the equity capital needed using the public market (SEO, Secondary Equity Offering) or a private channel (PIPE, Private Investment in Public Equity). Issuing a PIPE allows the firm to enjoy more financial flexibility. This is modeled in two dimensions: First, funds can be raised faster. Second, dilution costs caused by asymmetric information can be alleviated endogenously. However PIPEs are costly because new shares are temporarily illiquid. The model explains what firms use one market or the other and the optimal timing of investments to better use financial flexibility. For instance, market illiquidity makes the firm less likely to issue a PIPE, asymmetric information makes it more likely. The paper then considers private debt contracts and shows that the pecking order need not hold. The model explains empirical regularities, for instance, why do SEOs have negative abnormal returns around its announcement whereas abnormal returns for PIPEs are positive. |
Mental models and deduction | According to the mental-model theory of deductive reasoning, reasoners use the meanings of assertions together with general knowledge to construct mental models of the possibilities compatible with the premises. Each model represents what is true in a possibility. A conclusion is held to be valid if it holds in all the models of the premises. Recent evidence described here shows that the fewer models an inference calls for, the easier the inference is. Errors arise because reasoners fail to consider all possible models, and because models do not normally represent what is false, even though reasoners can construct counterexamples to refute invalid conclusions. |
Evolution Strategies for Deep Neural Network Models Design | Deep neural networks have become the state-ofart methods in many fields of machine learning recently. Still, there is no easy way how to choose a network architecture which can significantly influence the network performance. This work is a step towards an automatic architecture design. We propose an algorithm for an optimization of a network architecture based on evolution strategies. The al gorithm is inspired by and designed directly for the Keras library [3] which is one of the most common implementations of deep neural networks. The proposed algorithm is tested on MNIST data set and the prediction of air pollution based on sensor measurements, and it is compared to several fixed architectures and support vector regression. |
Reverse Mortgages and the Liquidity of Housing Wealth | The article is organized as follows: Section I briefly describes the features of various types of reverse mortgages offered in the private and public sectors. Section II surveys the ~elevant literature that has focused on the savings patterns of the elderly and their demand for reverse mortgage products. Section III describes the sample of the elderly drawn from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). Section IV analyzes the potential demand for reverse mortgages on the basis of age, fertility history, income, housing wealth, liquid wealth, and debt. Section V discusses the difficulties in developing an established market for reverse mortgages, including legal and regulatory barriers, as well as issues of appropriate pricing and risk. Section VI concludes the paper. |
Collective Semi-Supervised Learning for User Profiling in Social Media | The abundance of user-generated data in social media has incentivized the development of methods to infer the latent attributes of users, which are crucially useful for personalization, advertising and recommendation. However, the current user profiling approaches have limited success, due to the lack of a principled way to integrate different types of social relationships of a user, and the reliance on scarcely-available labeled data in building a prediction model. In this paper, we present a novel solution termed Collective Semi-Supervised Learning (CSL), which provides a principled means to integrate different types of social relationship and unlabeled data under a unified computational framework. The joint learning from multiple relationships and unlabeled data yields a computationally sound and accurate approach to model user attributes in social media. Extensive experiments using Twitter data have demonstrated the efficacy of our CSL approach in inferring user attributes such as account type and marital status. We also show how CSL can be used to determine important user features, and to make inference on a larger user population. |
A Fair Distributed Mutual Exclusion Algorithm | ÐThis paper presents a fair decentralized mutual exclusion algorithm for distributed systems in which processes communicate by asynchronous message passing. The algorithm requires between N ÿ 1 and 2
N ÿ 1 messages per critical section access, where N is the number of processes in the system. The exact message complexity can be expressed as a deterministic function of concurrency in the computation. The algorithm does not introduce any other overheads over Lamport's and RicartAgrawala's algorithms, which require 3
N ÿ 1 and 2
N ÿ 1 messages, respectively, per critical section access and are the only other decentralized algorithms that allow mutual exclusion access in the order of the timestamps of requests. Index TermsÐAlgorithm, concurrency, distributed system, fairness, mutual exclusion, synchronization. |
NaCl on 8-Bit AVR Microcontrollers | This paper presents first results of the Networking and Cryptography library (NaCl) on the 8-bit AVR family of microcontrollers. We show that NaCl, which has so far been optimized mainly for different desktop and server platforms, is feasible on resource-constrained devices while being very fast and memory efficient. Our implementation shows that encryption using Salsa20 requires 268 cycles/byte, authentication using Poly1305 needs 195 cycles/byte, a Curve25519 scalar multiplication needs 22 791 579 cycles, signing of data using Ed25519 needs 23 216 241 cycles, and verification can be done within 32 634 713 cycles. All implemented primitives provide at least 128-bit security, run in constant time, do not use secret-data-dependent branch conditions, and are open to the public domain (no usage restrictions). |
Multi-Agent Actor-Critic with Generative Cooperative Policy Network | We propose an efficient multi-agent reinforcement learning approach to derive equilibrium strategies for multi-agents who are participating in a Markov game. Mainly, we are focused on obtaining decentralized policies for agents to maximize the performance of a collaborative task by all the agents, which is similar to solving a decentralized Markov decision process. We propose to use two different policy networks: (1) decentralized greedy policy network used to generate greedy action during training and execution period and (2) generative cooperative policy network (GCPN) used to generate action samples to make other agents improve their objectives during training period. We show that the samples generated by GCPN enable other agents to explore the policy space more effectively and favorably to reach a better policy in terms of achieving the collaborative tasks. |
Implementation of Text clustering using Genetic Algorithm | Text clustering is an important area of interest in the field of Text summarization, sentiment analysis etc. There have been a lot of algorithms experimented during the past years, which have a wide range of performances. One of the most popular method used is k-means, where an initial assumption is made about k, which is the number of clusters to be generated. Now a new method is introduced where the number of clusters is found using a modified spectral bisection and then the output is given to a genetic algorithm where the final solution is obtained. Keywords— Cluster, Spectral Bisection, Genetic Algorithm, kmeans. |
Map-Based Visual-Inertial Monocular SLAM using Inertial assisted Kalman Filter | In this paper, we present a novel tightly-coupled monocular visual-inertial Simultaneous Localization and Mapping algorithm following an inertial assisted Kalman Filter and reusing the estimated 3D map. By leveraging an inertial assisted Kalman Filter, we achieve an efficient motion tracking bearing fast dynamic movement in the front-end. To enable place recognition and reduce the trajectory estimation drift, we construct a factor graph based non-linear optimization in the back-end. We carefully design a feedback mechanism to balance the front/back ends ensuring the estimation accuracy. We also propose a novel initialization method that accurately estimate the scale factor, the gravity, the velocity, and gyroscope and accelerometer biases in a very robust way. We evaluated the algorithm on a public dataset, when compared to other state-of-the-art monocular Visual-Inertial SLAM approaches, our algorithm achieves better accuracy and robustness in an efficient way. By the way, we also evaluate our algorithm in a MonocularInertial setup with a low cost IMU to achieve a robust and lowdrift realtime SLAM system. |
GeoSocialBound: an efficient framework for estimating social POI boundaries using spatio-textual information | In this paper, we present a novel framework for estimating social point-of-interest (POI) boundaries, also termed GeoSocialBound, utilizing spatio--textual information based on geo-tagged tweets. We first start by defining a social POI boundary as one small-scale cluster containing its POI center, geographically formed with a convex polygon. Motivated by an insightful observation with regard to estimation accuracy, we formulate a constrained optimization problem, in which we are interested in finding the radius of a circle such that a newly defined objective function is maximized. To solve this problem, we introduce an efficient optimal estimation algorithm whose runtime complexity is linear in the number of geo-tags in a dataset. In addition, we empirically evaluate the estimation performance of our GeoSocialBound algorithm for various environments and validate the complexity analysis. As a result, vital information on how to obtain real-world GeoSocialBounds with a high degree of accuracy is provided. |
Drawing ecological inferences from coincident patterns of population- and community-level biodiversity. | Biodiversity is comprised of genetic and phenotypic variation among individual organisms, which might belong to the same species or to different species. Spatial patterns of biodiversity are of central interest in ecology and evolution for several reasons: to identify general patterns in nature (e.g. species-area relationships, latitudinal gradients), to inform conservation priorities (e.g. identifying hotspots, prioritizing management efforts) and to draw inferences about processes, historical or otherwise (e.g. adaptation, the centre of origin of particular clades). There are long traditions in ecology and evolutionary biology of examining spatial patterns of biodiversity among species (i.e. in multispecies communities) and within species, respectively, and there has been a recent surge of interest in studying these two types of pattern simultaneously. The idea is that examining both levels of diversity can materially advance the above-stated goals and perhaps lead to entirely novel lines of inquiry. Here, we review two broad categories of approach to merging studies of inter- and intraspecific variation: (i) the study of phenotypic trait variation along environmental gradients and (ii) the study of relationships between patterns of molecular genetic variation within species and patterns of distribution and diversity across species. For the latter, we report a new meta-analysis in which we find that correlations between species diversity and genetic diversity are generally positive and significantly stronger in studies with discrete sampling units (e.g. islands, lakes, forest fragments) than in studies with nondiscrete sampling units (e.g. equal-area study plots). For each topic, we summarize the current state of knowledge and key future directions. |
Lifecycle Management in the Smart City Context: Smart Parking Use-Case | Lifecycle management enables enterprises to manage their products, services and product-service bundles. IoT and CPS have made products and services smarter by closing the loop of data across different phases of lifecycle. Similarly, CPS and IoT empower cities with real-time data streams from heterogeneous objects. Yet, cities are smarter and more powerful when relevant data can be exchanged between different systems across different domains. From engineering perspective, smart city can be seen as a System of Systems composed of interrelated/ interdependent smart systems and objects. To better integrate people, processes, and systems in the smart city ecosystem, this paper discusses the use of Lifecycle Management in the smart city context. Considering the differences between ordinary and smart service systems, this paper seeks better understanding of lifecycle aspects in the smart city context. For better understanding, some of the discussed lifecycle aspects are demonstrated in a smart parking use-case. |
From Credit Assignment to Entropy Regularization: Two New Algorithms for Neural Sequence Prediction | In this work, we study the credit assignment problem in reward augmented maximum likelihood (RAML) learning, and establish a theoretical equivalence between the token-level counterpart of RAML and the entropy regularized reinforcement learning. Inspired by the connection, we propose two sequence prediction algorithms, one extending RAML with fine-grained credit assignment and the other improving Actor-Critic with a systematic entropy regularization. On two benchmark datasets, we show the proposed algorithms outperform RAML and Actor-Critic respectively, providing new alternatives to sequence prediction. |
Towards 3D Point cloud based object maps for household environments | This article investigates the problem of acquiring 3D object maps of indoor household environments, in particular kitchens. The objects modeled in these maps include cupboards, tables, drawers and shelves, which are of particular importance for a household robotic assistant. Our mapping approach is based on PCD (point cloud data) representations. Sophisticated interpretation methods operating on these representations eliminate noise and resample the data without deleting the important details, and interpret the improved point clouds in terms of rectangular planes and 3D geometric shapes. We detail the steps of our mapping approach and explain the key techniques that make it work. The novel techniques include statistical analysis, persistent histogram features estimation that allows for a consistent registration, resampling with additional robust fitting techniques, and segmentation of the environment into meaningful regions. |
Differences in perceptions of beauty and cosmetic procedures performed in ethnic patients. | The United States has become progressively more multicultural, with the ethnic population growing at record rates. The US Census Bureau projects that, by the year 2056, greater than 50% of the US population will be of non-Caucasian descent. Ethnic patients have different cosmetic concerns and natural features that are unique. The cosmetic concerns of ethnic patients also differ as the result of differences in skin pathophysiology, mechanisms of aging, and unique anatomic structure. There is no longer a single standard of beauty. We must now adapt to the more diverse population and understand how to accommodate the diversity of beauty in the United States. Ethnic patients do not necessarily want a Westernized look because what constitutes beauty is determined by racial, cultural, and environmental influences. We as leaders in skin care must understand these differences and adapt our practices accordingly. This article will focus on the differences in aging in different ethnic populations and highlight procedures unique to skin of color. |
Uncovering Latent Style Factors for Expressive Speech Synthesis | Prosodic modeling is a core problem in speech synthesis. The key challenge is producing desirable prosody from textual input containing only phonetic information. In this preliminary study, we introduce the concept of “style tokens” in Tacotron, a recently proposed end-to-end neural speech synthesis model. Using style tokens, we aim to extract independent prosodic styles from training data. We show that without annotation data or an explicit supervision signal, our approach can automatically learn a variety of prosodic variations in a purely data-driven way. Importantly, each style token corresponds to a fixed style factor regardless of the given text sequence. As a result, we can control the prosodic style of synthetic speech in a somewhat predictable and globally consistent way. |
A Comprehensive Evaluation of RPL under Mobility | This paper focuses on routing for vehicles getting access to infrastructure either directly or via multiple hops through other vehicles. We study Routing Protocol for Low power and lossy networks (RPL), a tree-based routing protocol designed for sensor networks. Many design elements from RPL are transferable to the vehicular environment. We provide a simulation performance study of RPL and RPL tuning in VANETs. More specifically, we seek to study the impact of RPL’s various parameters and external factors (e.g., various timers and speeds) on its performance and obtain insights on RPL tuning for its use in VANETs. We then fine tune RPL and obtain performance gain over existing RPL. |
EyePACS: an adaptable telemedicine system for diabetic retinopathy screening. | BACKGROUND
Annual retinal screening of patients with diabetes is the standard clinical practice to prevent visual impairment and blindness from diabetic retinopathy. Telemedicine-based diabetic retinopathy screening (DRS) in primary care settings can effectively detect sight-threatening retinopathy and significantly increase compliance with annual retinal exams. EyePACS is a license-free Web-based DRS system designed to simplify the process of image capture, transmission, and review. The system provides a flexible platform for collaboration among clinicians about diabetic retinopathy.
METHODS
Primary clinic personnel (i.e., nursing, technical, or administrative staff) are trained and certified by the EyePACS program to acquire retinal images from standard digital retinal cameras. Relevant clinical data and eight high-resolution images per patient (two external and six retinal images) are encrypted and transmitted to a secure Internet server, using a standard computer and Web browser. Images are then interpreted by certified EyePACS reviewers or local eye care providers who are certified through the EyePACS Retinopathy Grading System. Reports indicating retinopathy level and referral recommendations are transmitted back to primary care providers through the EyePACS Web site or through interfaces between EyePACS and Health Level 7-compliant electronic medical records or chronic disease registries.
RESULTS
The pilot phase of the EyePACS DRS program in California (2005-2006) recorded 3562 encounters. Since 2006, EyePACS has been expanded to over 120 primary care sites throughout California and elsewhere recording over 34,000 DRSs. The overall rate of referral is 8.21% for sight-threatening retinopathy and 7.83% for other conditions (e.g., cataract and glaucoma).
CONCLUSION
The use of license-free Web-based software, standard interfaces, and flexible protocols has allowed primary care providers to adopt retinopathy screening with minimal effort and resources. |
Sipuleucel-T immunotherapy for castration-resistant prostate cancer. | BACKGROUND
Sipuleucel-T, an autologous active cellular immunotherapy, has shown evidence of efficacy in reducing the risk of death among men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
METHODS
In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned 512 patients in a 2:1 ratio to receive either sipuleucel-T (341 patients) or placebo (171 patients) administered intravenously every 2 weeks, for a total of three infusions. The primary end point was overall survival, analyzed by means of a stratified Cox regression model adjusted for baseline levels of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and lactate dehydrogenase.
RESULTS
In the sipuleucel-T group, there was a relative reduction of 22% in the risk of death as compared with the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61 to 0.98; P=0.03). This reduction represented a 4.1-month improvement in median survival (25.8 months in the sipuleucel-T group vs. 21.7 months in the placebo group). The 36-month survival probability was 31.7% in the sipuleucel-T group versus 23.0% in the placebo group. The treatment effect was also observed with the use of an unadjusted Cox model and a log-rank test (hazard ratio, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.61 to 0.97; P=0.02) and after adjustment for use of docetaxel after the study therapy (hazard ratio, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.62 to 0.98; P=0.03). The time to objective disease progression was similar in the two study groups. Immune responses to the immunizing antigen were observed in patients who received sipuleucel-T. Adverse events that were more frequently reported in the sipuleucel-T group than in the placebo group included chills, fever, and headache.
CONCLUSIONS
The use of sipuleucel-T prolonged overall survival among men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. No effect on the time to disease progression was observed. (Funded by Dendreon; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00065442.) |
Relationship between oral health and its impact on the quality life of Alzheimer's disease patients: a supportive care trial. | UNLABELLED
Dental infections have recently been related with a possible risk factor for Neurodegenerative pathologies like Alzheimer's disease (AD). Even if there are no specific studies investigating orofacial pain in this patient group, dental health is known to be a potential cause of pain and to influence quality of life and disease progression. The aim of this study was to investigate how the AD patients' oral health status may influence their quality of life. 158 patients affected by AD were evaluated using Decayed Missed Filled Teeth (DMFT), Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) and Clinical Investigation consisting in the detection of cavities and measurement of the probing depth in each patient; other parameters like gingival bleeding, biofilm index and tooth mobility degree test have been recorded. The ratio between diagnosis of periodontal disease and impact on quality of life was significant in individuals with periodontitis (p < 0.001) and missed filled teeth. Gingival bleeding, and probing depth > 4 mm were associated with intensely negative impact on quality of life (p = 0.013, p < 0.001, and p = 0.012 respectively). Moreover, the absence of more than 2 molar teeth increases the chewing inability decreasing the patient quality of life.
CONCLUSION
It was observed a correlation between the age and the high index of pathologies analyzed, due to the progressive nature of the disease. Concepts of health and disease determined by clinical diagnostic criteria may influence the assessment of the impact of periodontal disease on Alzheimer's quality of life. |
Learning CP-net Preferences Online from User Queries | We present an online, heuristic algorithm for learning Conditional Preference networks (CP-nets) from user queries. This is the first efficient and resolute CP-net learning algorithm: if a preference order can be represented as a CP-net, our algorithm learns a CP-net in time n, where p is a bound on the number of parents a node may have. The learned CP-net is guaranteed to be consistent with the original CP-net on all queries from the learning process. We tested the algorithm on randomly generated CP-nets; the learned CP-nets agree with the originals on a high percent of non-training preference comparisons. |
Generating word images using deep generative adversarial networks | As one of the most important research topic of nowadays, deep learning attracts researchers' attention with applications of convolutional (CNNs) and recurrent neural networks (RNNs). By pioneers of the deep learning community, generative adversarial training, which has been working for especially last two years, is defined as the most exciting topic of computer vision for the last 10 years. With the influence of these views, a new training approach is proposed to combine generative adversarial network (GAN) architecture with a cascading training. Using CVL database, text images can be generated in a short training time as a different application from the existing GAN examples. |
Neighborhood environment and physical activity among older adults: do the relationships differ by driving status? | Some attributes of neighborhood environments are associated with physical activity among older adults. This study examined whether the associations were moderated by driving status. Older adults from neighborhoods differing in walkability and income completed written surveys and wore accelerometers (N = 880, mean age = 75 years, 56% women). Neighborhood environments were measured by geographic information systems and validated questionnaires. Driving status was defined on the basis of a driver's license, car ownership, and feeling comfortable to drive. Outcome variables included accelerometer-based physical activity and self-reported transport and leisure walking. Multilevel generalized linear regression was used. There was no significant Neighborhood Attribute × Driving Status interaction with objective physical activity or reported transport walking. For leisure walking, almost all environmental attributes were positive and significant among driving older adults but not among nondriving older adults (five significant interactions at p < .05). The findings suggest that driving status is likely to moderate the association between neighborhood environments and older adults' leisure walking. |
Channel-stacked NAND flash memory with layer selection by multi-level operation (LSM) | In this paper, the channel stacked array (CSTAR) NAND flash memory with layer selection by multi-level operation (LSM) of string select transistor (SST) is proposed and investigated to solve problems of conventional channel stacked array. In case of LSM architecture, the stacked layers can be distinguished by combinations of multi-level states of SST and string select line (SSL) bias. Due to the layer selection performed by the bias of SSL, the placement of bit lines and word lines is similar to the conventional planar structure, and proposed CSTAR with LSM has no island-type SSLs. As a result of the advantages of the proposed architecture, various issues of conventional channel stacked NAND flash memory array can be solved. |
Safety and effectiveness of BufferGel and 0.5% PRO2000 gel for the prevention of HIV infection in women. | OBJECTIVE
To determine the safety and effectiveness of BufferGel and 0.5% PRO2000 microbicide gels for the prevention of male-to-female HIV transmission.
DESIGN
Phase II/IIb, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with three double-blinded gel arms and an open-label no gel arm.
METHODS
Study participants from Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the USA were instructed to apply study gel up to 1 h before each sex act and safety, sexual behavior, pregnancy, gel adherence, acceptability, and HIV serostatus were assessed during follow-up.
RESULTS
The 3101 enrolled women were followed for an average of 20.4 months with 93.6% retention and 81.1% self-reported gel adherence. Adverse event rates were similar in all study arms. HIV incidence rates in the 0.5% PRO2000 gel, BufferGel, placebo gel, and no gel arms were 2.70, 4.14, 3.91, and 4.02 per 100 women-years, respectively. HIV incidence in the 0.5% PRO2000 gel arm was lower than the placebo gel arm (hazard ratio = 0.7, P = 0.10) and the no gel arm (hazard ratio = 0.67, P = 0.06). HIV incidence rates were similar in the BufferGel and both placebo gel (hazard ratio = 1.10, P = 0.63) and no gel control arms (hazard ratio = 1.05, P = 0.78). HIV incidence was similar in the placebo gel and no gel arms (hazard ratio = 0.97, P = 0.89).
CONCLUSION
The 0.5% PRO2000 gel demonstrated a modest 30% reduction in HIV acquisition in women. However, these results were not statistically significant and subsequent findings from the Microbicide Development Programme (MDP) 301 trial have confirmed that 0.5% PRO2000 gel has little or no protective effect. BufferGel did not alter the risk of HIV infection. Both products were well tolerated. |
Wireless Optofluidic Systems for Programmable In Vivo Pharmacology and Optogenetics | In vivo pharmacology and optogenetics hold tremendous promise for dissection of neural circuits, cellular signaling, and manipulating neurophysiological systems in awake, behaving animals. Existing neural interface technologies, such as metal cannulas connected to external drug supplies for pharmacological infusions and tethered fiber optics for optogenetics, are not ideal for minimally invasive, untethered studies on freely behaving animals. Here, we introduce wireless optofluidic neural probes that combine ultrathin, soft microfluidic drug delivery with cellular-scale inorganic light-emitting diode (μ-ILED) arrays. These probes are orders of magnitude smaller than cannulas and allow wireless, programmed spatiotemporal control of fluid delivery and photostimulation. We demonstrate these devices in freely moving animals to modify gene expression, deliver peptide ligands, and provide concurrent photostimulation with antagonist drug delivery to manipulate mesoaccumbens reward-related behavior. The minimally invasive operation of these probes forecasts utility in other organ systems and species, with potential for broad application in biomedical science, engineering, and medicine. |
Automated exam question generator using genetic algorithm | Manual preparation of exam questions is a challenging task for educators especially within a short time frame. It requires a lot of time and efforts in order to meet the standard quality of exam questions. This research introduces an automated exam question generator to resolve this issue in preparation of multiple choice exam questions. The generator can auto generate new exam questions set using Genetic Algorithm and covers six levels of Bloom's Taxonomy to produce high quality exam questions that can evaluate different level of learners based on Bloom's cognitive domains and the selection of chapters made by educators. The prototype with 500 sample questions has been run 50 times with different number of chapters selected for each test case. It manages to achieve 90% for the highest exam questions weightage while the average value of exam questions weightage percentage generated is 70%. The lowest exam questions weightage percentage generated is 40%. The result is affected by the smaller number of questions for each Bloom's taxonomy level in questions bank. The automated exam generator can extends to be used for any type of exam questions and it can be used for preparation of quiz or test questions. |
Health-related quality of life assessment in dermatology: interpretation of Skindex-29 scores using patient-based anchors. | In dermatology, the clinical use of health-related quality of life (HRQL) scores is impeded by lack of empirically and clinically based interpretation of these scores. We aimed to facilitate the interpretation of Skindex-29 domain and overall scores by identifying clinically meaningful cut-off scores, using patient-based anchors. Consecutively included dermatology outpatients completed the Skindex-29 and four sets of anchor-based questions, such as questions on the impact of skin disease on HRQL, on global disease severity, and on psychiatric morbidity. Pearson's correlations and receiver operating characteristic analysis were used to identify the optimal Skindex-29 cut-off scores corresponding to severely impaired HRQL. A total of 339/434 patients completed the questionnaires (response rate 78%), of which 322 could be used for data analysis. Cut-off scores associated with the patient-based anchors on the impact of skin disease on HRQL showed the highest accuracy (area under the curve ranged from 0.83 to 0.91). The corresponding Skindex-29 cut-off scores for severely impaired HRQL were as follows: > or =52 points on symptoms, > or =39 on emotions, > or =37 on functioning, and > or =44 on the overall score. The estimated cut-off scores can be used in clinical practice to identify patients with (very) severely impaired HRQL. |
Health cloud - Healthcare as a service(HaaS) | Health care industry has come a long way from more than just Hospital Information Systems (HIS), Electronic Medical Records (EMR) to computer assisted surgeries and remote patient care, since the advent of information technology into the health care domain. With the advances in information technology, healthcare in all kinds of markets is becoming more digital, more collaborative, more patient-centric, more data-driven. It aims towards accessing information anytime, anywhere. The traditional technology infrastructure of health care sector will not be able to cater to this massive amount of data generated and the various health care services to be offered to the patients. Cloud Computing is a fast growing trend that includes several services, all offered on demand over the internet in a pay-as-you-go model. It promises to increase the speed with which applications are deployed and lowers costs. Cloud computing can play a critical role in managing the current trend of growth in digital data and anywhere anytime availability of medical services. Cloud computing can also contribute significantly to containing healthcare integration costs, optimizing resources and ushering a new era of innovations in healthcare. This paper examines in brief, some of the digital data challenges that the healthcare industry is facing. The paper describes a system that is capable of offering various health care services that utilize cloud computing. The paper also presents the implementation of one service offered as part of the system described. |
Dynamic Network Embedding by Modeling Triadic Closure Process | Network embedding, which aims to learn the lowdimensional representations of vertices, is an important task and has attracted considerable research efforts recently. In real world, networks, like social network and biological networks, are dynamic and evolving over time. However, almost all the existing network embedding methods focus on static networks while ignore network dynamics. In this paper, we present a novel representation learning approach, DynamicTriad, to preserve both structural information and evolution patterns of a given network. The general idea of our approach is to impose triad, which is a group of three vertices and is one of the basic units of networks. In particular, we model how a closed triad, which consists of three vertices connected with each other, develops from an open triad that has two of three vertices not connected with each other. This triadic closure process is a fundamental mechanism in the formation and evolution of networks, thereby makes our model being able to capture the network dynamics and to learn representation vectors for each vertex at different time steps. Experimental results on three real-world networks demonstrate that, compared with several state-of-the-art techniques, DynamicTriad achieves substantial gains in several application scenarios. For example, our approach can effectively be applied and help to identify telephone frauds in a mobile network, and to predict whether a user will repay her loans or not in a loan network. |
German version of the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire - Appearance Scales (MBSRQ-AS): confirmatory factor analysis and validation. | The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ) is a widely used questionnaire that measures body image as a multidimensional construct. The Appearance Scales (AS) of the MBSRQ (Appearance Evaluation, Appearance Orientation, Body Areas Satisfaction, Overweight Preoccupation and Self-Classified Weight) are subscales which facilitate a parsimonious assessment of appearance-related aspects of body image. The current study tested the psychometric properties and factor structure of a German translation of the MBSRQ-AS. Participants were n=230 female patients with the SCID diagnosis of an eating disorder and n=293 female healthy controls. In a confirmatory factor analysis, convincing goodness-of-fit indices emerged. The subscales of the questionnaire yielded good reliability and convergent and discriminant validity coefficients, with most items showing excellent characteristics. Like the English version, the German adaptation of the questionnaire can be recommended for a multidimensional assessment of appearance-related aspects of body image in both research and clinical practice. |
Learning bilingual word embeddings with (almost) no bilingual data | Most methods to learn bilingual word embeddings rely on large parallel corpora, which is difficult to obtain for most language pairs. This has motivated an active research line to relax this requirement, with methods that use document-aligned corpora or bilingual dictionaries of a few thousand words instead. In this work, we further reduce the need of bilingual resources using a very simple self-learning approach that can be combined with any dictionary-based mapping technique. Our method exploits the structural similarity of embedding spaces, and works with as little bilingual evidence as a 25 word dictionary or even an automatically generated list of numerals, obtaining results comparable to those of systems that use richer resources. |
Dataset Issues in Object Recognition | Appropriate datasets are required at all stages of object recognition research, including learning visual models of object and scene categories, detecting and localizing instances of these models in images, and evaluating the performance of recognition algorithms. Current datasets are lacking in several respects, and this paper discusses some of the lessons learned from existing efforts, as well as innovative ways to obtain very large and diverse annotated datasets. It also suggests a few criteria for gathering future datasets. |
Power electronics traction transformer | With the new generation of full low floor passenger trains, the constraints of weight and size on the traction transformer are becoming stronger. The ultimate target weight for the transformer is 1 kg/kVA. The reliability and the efficiency are also becoming more important. To address these issues, a multilevel topology using medium frequency transformers has been developed. It permits to reduce the weight and the size of the system and improves the global life cycle cost of the vehicle. The proposed multilevel converter consists of sixteen bidirectional direct current converters (cycloconverters) connected in series to the catenary 15 kV, 16.7 Hz through a choke inductor. The cycloconverters are connected to sixteen medium frequency transformers (400 Hz) that are fed by sixteen four-quadrant converters connected in parallel to a 1.8 kV DC link with a 2f filter. The control, the command and the hardware of the prototype are described in detail. |
Paclitaxel-coated balloon angioplasty vs. plain balloon dilation for the treatment of failing dialysis access: 6-month interim results from a prospective randomized controlled trial. | PURPOSE
To report the 6-month results of a prospective randomized trial investigating angioplasty with paclitaxel-coated balloons (PCB) vs. plain balloon angioplasty (BA) for the treatment of failing native arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) or prosthetic arteriovenous grafts (AVG).
METHODS
The enrollment criteria for this non-inferiority hypothesis trial included clinical signs of failing dialysis access with angiographic documentation of a significant venous stenotic lesion in patients with AVF or AVG circuits. From March to December 2010, 40 patients (29 men; mean age 64.1 ± 14.3 years) were randomized to undergo either PCB dilation (n = 20) or standard BA (n = 20) of a stenosed venous outflow lesion. Regular angiographic follow-up was scheduled bimonthly. Study outcome measures included device success (<30% residual stenosis without postdilation), procedural success (<30% residual stenosis), and primary patency of the treated lesion (<50% angiographic restenosis and no need for any interim repeat procedures).
RESULTS
Baseline and procedural variables were comparably distributed between both groups. Device success was 9/20 (45%) for the PCB device vs. 20/20 (100%) for standard control BA (p<0.001). Procedural success was 100% in both groups after further high-pressure post-dilation as necessary. There were no major or minor complications in either group. At 6 months, cumulative target lesion primary patency was significantly higher after PCB application (70% in PCB group vs. 25% in BA group, p<0.001; HR 0.30, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.71, p<0.006).
CONCLUSION
PCB angioplasty improves patency after angioplasty of venous stenoses of failing vascular access used for dialysis. |
How to Build a CC System | Building a computationally creative system is a challenging undertaking. While such systems are beginning to proliferate, and a good number of them have been reasonably well-documented, it may seem, especially to newcomers to the field, that each system is a bespoke design that bears little chance of revealing any general knowledge about CC system building. This paper seeks to dispel this concern by presenting an abstract CC system description, or, in other words a practical, general approach for constructing CC systems. |
Automotive power generation and control | This paper describes some new developments in the application of power electronics to automotive power generation and control. A new load-matching technique is introduced that uses a simple switched-mode rectifier to achieve dramatic increases in peak and average power output from a conventional Lundell alternator, along with substantial improvements in efficiency. Experimental results demonstrate these capability improvements. Additional performance and functionality improvements of particular value for high-voltage (e.g., 42 V) alternators are also demonstrated. Tight load-dump transient suppression can be achieved using this new architecture. It is also shown that the alternator system can be used to implement jump charging (the charging of the high-voltage system battery from a low-voltage source). Dual-output extensions of the technique (e.g., 42/14 V) are also introduced. The new technology preserves the simplicity and low cost of conventional alternator designs, and can be implemented within the existing manufacturing infrastructure. |
Understanding the Digital Marketing Environment with KPIs and Web Analytics | In the practice of Digital Marketing (DM), Web Analytics (WA) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) can and should play an important role in marketing strategy formulation. It is the aim of this article to survey the various DM metrics to determine and address the following question: What are the most relevant metrics and KPIs that companies need to understand and manage in order to increase the effectiveness of their DM strategies? Therefore, to achieve these objectives, a Systematic Literature Review has been carried out based on two main themes (i) Digital Marketing and (ii) Web Analytics. The search terms consulted in the databases have been (i) DM and (ii) WA obtaining a result total of n = 378 investigations. The databases that have been consulted for the extraction of data were Scopus, PubMed, PsyINFO, ScienceDirect and Web of Science. In this study, we define and identify the main KPIs in measuring why, how and for what purpose users interact with web pages and ads. The main contribution of the study is to lay out and clarify quantitative and qualitative KPIs and indicators for DM performance in order to achieve a consensus on the use and measurement of these indicators. |
Reconstruction of gluteal defects using free flaps. | The TRAM flap, DIEP flap, and gluteal free flaps are routinely used for breast reconstruction. However, these have seldom been described for reconstruction of buttock deformities. We present three cases of free flaps used to restore significant buttock contour deformities. They introduce vascularised bulky tissue and provide adequate cushioning for future sitting, as well as correction of the aesthetic defect. |
A Tumor Suppressor Function for Notch Signaling in Forebrain Tumor Subtypes. | In the brain, Notch signaling maintains normal neural stem cells, but also brain cancer stem cells, indicating an oncogenic role. Here, we identify an unexpected tumor suppressor function for Notch in forebrain tumor subtypes. Genetic inactivation of RBP-Jκ, a key Notch mediator, or Notch1 and Notch2 receptors accelerates PDGF-driven glioma growth in mice. Conversely, genetic activation of the Notch pathway reduces glioma growth and increases survival. In humans, high Notch activity strongly correlates with distinct glioma subtypes, increased patient survival, and lower tumor grade. Additionally, simultaneous inactivation of RBP-Jκ and p53 induces primitive neuroectodermal-like tumors in mice. Hence, Notch signaling cooperates with p53 to restrict cell proliferation and tumor growth in mouse models of human brain tumors. |
Co-dependents: MR1-restricted MAIT cells and their antimicrobial function | Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are a unique T cell subset in mammals. They are present at high frequencies at mucosal tissue sites and have an intrinsic capacity to respond to microbial infections. The semi-invariant antigen recognition receptor of MAIT cells detects the non-polymorphic antigen-presenting molecule major histocompatibility complex class I-related protein 1 (MR1), which can bind microorganism-derived riboflavin metabolites. The striking evolutionary conservation in both the MR1 molecule and the MAIT T cell receptor suggests that strong selective pressures maintain this T cell pattern recognition system which detects microbial infection. |
The Situational Humour Response Questionnaire ( SHRQ ) as a test of “ sense of humour ” : a validity study in the field of humour appreciation | The Situational Humour Response Questionnaire [SHRQ, Martin Lefcourt (1984) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47, 145–155] measures the propensity to smile and laugh in a variety of daily life situations. Since the SHRQ is regarded as a test of “sense of humour”, its validity in the field of humour appreciation was investigated. Two student samples (N = 105 and 101) from Indiana answered the SHRQ and rated the funniness and aversiveness of one of two sets of 35 jokes and cartoons taken from Form A and Form B of the 3-WD Humour Test [Ruch (1983) Humour Test 3-WD (Form A, B and K). Unpublished Manuscript]. Product-moment correlations between the SHRQ and humour appreciation was computed at the level of funniness and aversiveness for individual items, for humour categories as well as for total scores. Contrary to expectations, the SHRQ did not correlate with any level of 3-WD Humour Test scores suggesting that these two tests apparently tap totally different domains of humour. It may be that the SHRQ measures laughter that is only partially accompanied by the humour experience with that experience being more fully measured in the 3-WD Test. It appears that the SHRQ fails to fulfil the criterion that a test of “sense of humour” should be able to account for individual differences in humour appreciation. A hypothesis is proposed suggesting that the relationship between the SHRQ and humour appreciation might be mediated by social factors. DOI: 10.1016/0191-8869(92)90029-O Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: http://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-77454 Originally published at: Deckers, Lambert; Ruch, Willibald (1992). The Situational Humour Response Questionnaire (SHRQ) as a test of “sense of humour”: a validity study in the field of humour appreciation. Personality and Individual Differences, 13(10):1149-1152. DOI: 10.1016/0191-8869(92)90029-O This manuscript was published as: Deckers, L. & Ruch, W. (1992). The Situational Humour Response Questionnaire (SHRQ) as a test of "sense of humour": A validity study in the field of humour appreciation. Personality and Individual Differences, 13, 1149-1152. THE SITUATIONAL HUMOUR RESPONSE QUESTIONNAIRE (SHRQ) AS A TEST OF "SENSE OF HUMOUR": A VALIDITY STUDY IN THE FIELD OF HUMOUR APPRECIATION. LAMBERT DECKERS 1, 2 AND WILLIBALD RUCH 2 1 Department of Psychological Science, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA; 2 Department of Physiological Psychology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany. |
Environmental Factors and Rheumatic Heart Disease in Fiji | Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is an important cause of cardiac morbidity and mortality globally, particularly in the Pacific region. Susceptibility to RHD is thought to be due to genetic factors that are influenced by environmental factors, such as crowding and poverty. However, there are few data relating to these environmental factors in the Pacific region. We conducted a case-control study of 80 cases of RHD with age- and sex-matched controls in Fiji using a questionnaire to investigate associations of RHD with a number of environmental factors. There was a trend toward increased risk of RHD in association with poor-quality housing and lower socioeconomic status, but only one factor, maternal unemployment, reached statistical significance (OR 2.6, 95% confidence interval 1.2–5.8). Regarding crowding, little difference was observed between the two groups. Although our data do not allow firm conclusions, they do suggest that further studies of socioeconomic factors and RHD in the Pacific are warranted. They also suggest that genetic studies would provide an insight into susceptibility to RHD in this population. |
A Unified Approach to Quantifying Algorithmic Unfairness: Measuring Individual &Group Unfairness via Inequality Indices | Discrimination via algorithmic decision making has received considerable attention. Prior work largely focuses on defining conditions for fairness, but does not define satisfactory measures of algorithmic unfairness. In this paper, we focus on the following question: Given two unfair algorithms, how should we determine which of the two is more unfair? Our core idea is to use existing inequality indices from economics to measure how unequally the outcomes of an algorithm benefit different individuals or groups in a population. Our work offers a justified and general framework to compare and contrast the (un)fairness of algorithmic predictors. This unifying approach enables us to quantify unfairness both at the individual and the group level. Further, our work reveals overlooked tradeoffs between different fairness notions: using our proposed measures, the overall individual-level unfairness of an algorithm can be decomposed into a between-group and a within-group component. Earlier methods are typically designed to tackle only between-group un- fairness, which may be justified for legal or other reasons. However, we demonstrate that minimizing exclusively the between-group component may, in fact, increase the within-group, and hence the overall unfairness. We characterize and illustrate the tradeoffs between our measures of (un)fairness and the prediction accuracy. |
Joint Chinese Word Segmentation and POS Tagging on Heterogeneous Annotated Corpora with Multiple Task Learning | Chinese word segmentation and part-ofspeech tagging (S&T) are fundamental steps for more advanced Chinese language processing tasks. Recently, it has attracted more and more research interests to exploit heterogeneous annotation corpora for Chinese S&T. In this paper, we propose a unified model for Chinese S&T with heterogeneous annotation corpora. We first automatically construct a loose and uncertain mapping between two representative heterogeneous corpora, Penn Chinese Treebank (CTB) and PKU’s People’s Daily (PPD). Then we regard the Chinese S&T with heterogeneous corpora as two “related” tasks and train our model on two heterogeneous corpora simultaneously. Experiments show that our method can boost the performances of both of the heterogeneous corpora by using the shared information, and achieves significant improvements over the state-of-the-art methods. |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.