Analysis and Reuse of Plots Using Similarity and Analogy

Abstract: A plot is a partially ordered set of events. Plot analysis is a relevant source of knowledge about the agents behavior when accessing data stored in the database. It relies on logical logs which register the actions of individual agents. This paper proposes techniques to analyze and reuse plots based on the concepts of similarity and analogy, borrowed from cognitive science and linguistics. The concept of similarity is applied to organize plots as a library, and to explore the reuse of plots in the same domain. By contrast, the concept of analogy helps reuse plots across different domains. The techniques proposed in this paper find applications in areas such as computer games and emergency response information systems, as well as some traditional business applications

Evidence of a new state in 11^{11}Be observed in the 11^{11}Li β\beta-decay

Coincidences between charged particles emitted in the $\beta$-decay of $^{11}$Li were observed using highly segmented detectors. The breakup channels involving three particles were studied in full kinematics allowing for the reconstruction of the excitation energy of the $^{11}$Be states participating in the decay. In particular, the contribution of a previously unobserved state at 16.3 MeV in $^{11}$Be has been identified selecting the $\alpha$ + $^7$He$\to\alpha$ + $^6$He+n channel. The angular correlations between the $\alpha$ particle and the center of mass of the $^6$He+n system favors spin and parity assignment of 3/2$^-$ for this state as well as for the previously known state at 18 MeV.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

The Effect of Lattice Vibrations on Substitutional Alloy Thermodynamics

A longstanding limitation of first-principles calculations of substitutional alloy phase diagrams is the difficulty to account for lattice vibrations. A survey of the theoretical and experimental literature seeking to quantify the impact of lattice vibrations on phase stability indicates that this effect can be substantial. Typical vibrational entropy differences between phases are of the order of 0.1 to 0.2 k_B/atom, which is comparable to the typical values of configurational entropy differences in binary alloys (at most 0.693 k_B/atom). This paper describes the basic formalism underlying ab initio phase diagram calculations, along with the generalization required to account for lattice vibrations. We overview the various techniques allowing the theoretical calculation and the experimental determination of phonon dispersion curves and related thermodynamic quantities, such as vibrational entropy or free energy. A clear picture of the origin of vibrational entropy differences between phases in an alloy system is presented that goes beyond the traditional bond counting and volume change arguments. Vibrational entropy change can be attributed to the changes in chemical bond stiffness associated with the changes in bond length that take place during a phase transformation. This so-called ``bond stiffness vs. bond length'' interpretation both summarizes the key phenomenon driving vibrational entropy changes and provides a practical tool to model them.Comment: Submitted to Reviews of Modern Physics 44 pages, 6 figure

GATE : a simulation toolkit for PET and SPECT

Monte Carlo simulation is an essential tool in emission tomography that can assist in the design of new medical imaging devices, the optimization of acquisition protocols, and the development or assessment of image reconstruction algorithms and correction techniques. GATE, the Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission, encapsulates the Geant4 libraries to achieve a modular, versatile, scripted simulation toolkit adapted to the field of nuclear medicine. In particular, GATE allows the description of time-dependent phenomena such as source or detector movement, and source decay kinetics. This feature makes it possible to simulate time curves under realistic acquisition conditions and to test dynamic reconstruction algorithms. A public release of GATE licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License can be downloaded at the address http://www-lphe.epfl.ch/GATE/

Ambiguity Measures for preference-based decision viwewpoints

This paper examines the ambiguity of subjective judgments, which are represented by a system of pairwise preferences over a given set of alternatives. Such preferences are valued with respect to a set of reasons, in favor and against the alternatives, establishing a complete judgment, or viewpoint, on how to solve the decision problem. Hence, viewpoints entail particular decisions coming from the system of preferences, where the preference-based reasoning of a given viewpoint holds according to its soundness or coherence. Here we explore such a coherence under the frame of ambiguity measures, aiming at learning viewpoints with highest preference-score and minimum ambiguity. We extend existing measures of ambiguity into a multi-dimensional fuzzy setting, and suggest some future lines of research towards measuring the coherence or (ir)rationality of viewpoints, exploring the use of information measures in the context of preference learning

Apple phytochemicals and their health benefits

Evidence suggests that a diet high in fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, and phytochemicals including phenolics, flavonoids and carotenoids from fruits and vegetables may play a key role in reducing chronic disease risk. Apples are a widely consumed, rich source of phytochemicals, and epidemiological studies have linked the consumption of apples with reduced risk of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and diabetes. In the laboratory, apples have been found to have very strong antioxidant activity, inhibit cancer cell proliferation, decrease lipid oxidation, and lower cholesterol. Apples contain a variety of phytochemicals, including quercetin, catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid, all of which are strong antioxidants. The phytochemical composition of apples varies greatly between different varieties of apples, and there are also small changes in phytochemicals during the maturation and ripening of the fruit. Storage has little to no effect on apple phytochemicals, but processing can greatly affect apple phytochemicals. While extensive research exists, a literature review of the health benefits of apples and their phytochemicals has not been compiled to summarize this work. The purpose of this paper is to review the most recent literature regarding the health benefits of apples and their phytochemicals, phytochemical bioavailability and antioxidant behavior, and the effects of variety, ripening, storage and processing on apple phytochemicals