On the Role of Genetic Algorithms in the Pattern Recognition Task of Classification

In this dissertation we ask, formulate an apparatus for answering, and answer the following three questions: Where do Genetic Algorithms fit in the greater scheme of pattern recognition? Given primitive mechanics, can Genetic Algorithms match or exceed the performance of theoretically-based methods? Can we build a generic universal Genetic Algorithm for classification? To answer these questions, we develop a genetic algorithm which optimizes MATLAB classifiers and a variable length genetic algorithm which does classification based entirely on boolean logic. We test these algorithms on disparate datasets rooted in cellular biology, music theory, and medicine. We then get results from these and compare their confusion matrices. For those unfamiliar with Genetic Algorithms, we include a primer on the subject in chapter 1, and include a literature review and our motivations. In Chapter 2, we discuss the development of the algorithms necessary as well as explore other features necessitated by their existence. In Chapter 3, we share and discuss our results and conclusions. Finally, in Chapter 4, we discuss future directions for the corpus we have developed

Constitutional limits and the public sphere: A critical study of Bentham's legal and constitutional theory

This thesis is a reconstruction of Jeremy Bentham's legal and constitutional theory. It is based on a close reading of Bentham's unpublished and newly published texts, as well as on a re-reading of his better known works. It is argued that an analysis of constitutionally limited government formed a central theme of Bentham's theoretical arguments, whilst the establishment of a constitutionally limited government, based on representative democracy, was a major practical concern for him. The theme of constitutional limits brings together many of Bentham's specific preoccupations during his lifetime. Scholarship in legal, constitutional, and political theory, has hitherto failed to establish a unified conception of Bentham's thought. The main argument of this thesis is that, for Bentham, constitutional limits were socially dynamic in nature. These limits were determined and effectuated by a popular collective judgement with regard to the imposition of obligations within a given community. The people themselves demarcated the extent to which centralised coercion might be exercised. A popular collective judgement also signified a change in the locus of obligations from centralised institutions to the community. It is argued that the connection between constitutional limits and the public sphere constituted the common, unifying rationale of Bentham's legal and political enterprise. Constitutional limits were established as a result of an interaction between, on the one hand, officials, who were responsible for enacting a system of legislation and rules, and, on the other hand, the people, who passed judgement on the activities of these officials. This interaction determined the social justification, and hence the limits, of authority in any social group. The limits of authority, in turn, determined the sphere of individual inviolability. The relationship between constitutional limits and the public sphere is discussed in relation to Bentham's ideas about sovereignty, the duty to obey the law, and the dichotomy between legislation and private ethics. The connections which are established and defended between constitutional limits and private ethics, as well as between private ethics and communal consensus formation, are novel for legal and political theory in general, and for Bentham scholarship in particular. The idea of constitutional limits is, moreover, discussed in the context of the potential evolution of communities. In this context, constitutional limits are conceived as a medium through which a community might evolve from being a community of law into what Bentham called a "community of sympathy", the latter being largely based on self-government

Modeling the dynamics of a tracer particle in an elastic active gel

The internal dynamics of active gels, both in artificial (in-vitro) model systems and inside the cytoskeleton of living cells, has been extensively studied by experiments of recent years. These dynamics are probed using tracer particles embedded in the network of biopolymers together with molecular motors, and distinct non-thermal behavior is observed. We present a theoretical model of the dynamics of a trapped active particle, which allows us to quantify the deviations from equilibrium behavior, using both analytic and numerical calculations. We map the different regimes of dynamics in this system, and highlight the different manifestations of activity: breakdown of the virial theorem and equipartition, different elasticity-dependent "effective temperatures" and distinct non-Gaussian distributions. Our results shed light on puzzling observations in active gel experiments, and provide physical interpretation of existing observations, as well as predictions for future studies.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure

GenePING: secure, scalable management of personal genomic data

BACKGROUND: Patient genomic data are rapidly becoming part of clinical decision making. Within a few years, full genome expression profiling and genotyping will be affordable enough to perform on every individual. The management of such sizeable, yet fine-grained, data in compliance with privacy laws and best practices presents significant security and scalability challenges. RESULTS: We present the design and implementation of GenePING, an extension to the PING personal health record system that supports secure storage of large, genome-sized datasets, as well as efficient sharing and retrieval of individual datapoints (e.g. SNPs, rare mutations, gene expression levels). Even with full access to the raw GenePING storage, an attacker cannot discover any stored genomic datapoint on any single patient. Given a large-enough number of patient records, an attacker cannot discover which data corresponds to which patient, or even the size of a given patient's record. The computational overhead of GenePING's security features is a small constant, making the system usable, even in emergency care, on today's hardware. CONCLUSION: GenePING is the first personal health record management system to support the efficient and secure storage and sharing of large genomic datasets. GenePING is available online at , licensed under the LGPL

Rapid Battery Exchange Safety and Sensing

The Rapid Battery Exchange system (RBX) swaps batteries in an electric van, allowing almost continuous operation of the vehicle. The RBX system is designed and built by The Cal Poly Electric Vehicle Engineering Club (EVEC). The system includes the exchange ramp, two battery packs, and the electric “G-Van.” While the vehicle drives using one of the battery packs, the other pack charges in the exchange ramp. When the van’s battery depletes, it drives onto the ramp and swaps the dead battery for the charged one, and the process repeats. The RBX battery pack safety and sensing project divides into two main parts – voltage isolation and voltage sensing. Voltage isolation disconnects the battery pack voltage (216 VDC) from the outside of the pack when the pack is not charging or powering the van. This ensures operator, technician, and rider safety. The project also senses and records battery voltages over time, allowing technicians and engineers to find dead batteries in the pack and monitor the pack performance over time

What Are the Benefits and Risks of Fitting Patients with Radiofrequency Identification Devices

Background to the debate: In 2004, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a radiofrequency identification (RFID) device that is implanted under the skin of the upper arm of patients and that stores the patient's medical identifier. When a scanner is passed over the device, the identifier is displayed on the screen of an RFID reader. An authorized health professional can then use the identifier to access the patient's clinical information, which is stored in a separate, secure database. Such RFID devices may have many medical benefits—such as expediting identification of patients and retrieval of their medical records. But critics of the technology have raised several concerns, including the risk of the patient's identifying information being used for nonmedical purposes

Midwest Roadside Safety Facility Expansion for Enhanced Research Capabilities

As Civil Engineering students, this group was tasked with designing and proposing an engineering solution to a real-world problem. In this case, the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility in Lincoln, Nebraska was looking for a planned proposal to add an additional building to their property for the purpose of additional research and office space. The group decided on the name Zana Engineering – Zana translating to “highly educated” in Kurmanji – to function as the organization responsible for creating this proposal and presentation. Zana Engineering designed this plan on several key factors, most significantly utility, affordability, safety, sustainability, functionality, longevity, and the possibility of future expansion. In order to fully analyze the scope of this project, the team utilized various site and soil profiles, maps, and multiple design manuals. Additionally, the team utilized AutoCAD 3D and Revit software to create the proposed designs. The team found that the ideal solution was to create a three-story multifunctional complex with a basement. The design incorporates design and research space for graduate students, office space for employees and faculty, a viewing deck for crash testing, and additional storage space. The building is located on the Northwest corner of the Lincoln Airport, with additional open space to the North and West of the proposed location to allow for future expansion. The total cost of the project was estimated to be $23,960,550 completed in roughly 18 months

Séfer sibhé ha-`Ari

Copia digital. Madrid : Ministerio de Cultura. Subdirección General de Coordinación Bibliotecaria, 201