The Mathematics of Measuring Capabilities of Artificial Neural Networks

Researchers rely on the mathematics of Vapnik and Chervonenkis to capture quantitatively the capabilities of specific artificial neural network (ANN) architectures. The quantifier is known as the V-C dimension, and is defined on functions or sets. Its value is the largest cardinality 1 of a set of vectors in Rd such that there is at least one set of vectors of cardinality 1 such that all dichotomies of that set into two sets can be implemented by the function or set. Stated another way, the V-C dimension of a set of functions is the largest cardinality of a set, such that there exists one set of that cardinality which can be shattered by the set of functions. A set of functions is said to shatter a set if each dichotomy of that set can be implemented by a function in the set. There is an abundance of research on determining the value of V-C dimensions of ANNs. In this document, research on V-C dimension is refined and extended yielding formulas for evaluating V-C dimension for the set of functions representable by a feed-forward, single hidden-layer perceptron artificial neural network. The fundamental thesis of this research is that the V-C dimension is not an appropriate quantifier of ANN capabilities

Recollection/Re-Collection: a Re-positioning of Artificial Nature in the Natural World

ABSTRACT In this body of work I explore the division between our experiences with nature in a controlled environment versus the less frequent experience of true nature. I concern myself with the distance we create for ourselves by diminishing our interactions with nature, making them convenient, not messy or intrusive. I also attempt to resensitize the viewer to his or her own conscious or unconscious response to nature. By setting up situations that utilize both real and artificial objects, images and materials, I place the viewer in a relationship with the work that requires thoughtful attention. Through the creation of symbols and fictional spaces, the prints and two-dimensional works function as indexes of objects and memory. Using the visual language of line and drawing, these fictional landscapes are both unusual, and grounded in the familiar. They are unusual in that they depict illogical scenarios that are often confusing and unexpected, and familiar in that I use recognizable and common elements of the landscape. In my sculpture I use commercially produced, artificial facsimiles that function as stand-ins for nature. I parody these materials to sensitize the viewer to their absurdity. In doing so I question these material\u27s role in our lives as well as their cultural purpose. In my thesis I address societal issues that run contrary to my sense of responsibility as part of humankind. My artwork provides me with the opportunity to explore these issues in a tangible way. My practice is to embrace the absurd, accept the unexpected and re-present it in a way so as to examine its validity and role in my life. I show my examinations of these situations through my art and encourage others to examine their observations and assumptions as well

Is paediatric endotracheal suctioning by nurses’ evidence based? An International Survey

Background: Endotracheal suction (ETS) is essential in intubated patients to prevent tube occlusion and is one of the most common nursing interventions performed in intensive care.Aim: To explore how paediatric endotracheal suctioning (ETS) practices reflect Evidence-based Practice (EBP) recommendations in Paediatric intensive care units (PICU) worldwide.Study design and methods: A cross-sectional electronic survey linked to a real patient suction episode. Nurses completed the survey following a recent ETS episode. EBP was defined based on four of the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) best evidence recommendations: pre-oxygenation before suction, use of a suction catheter no more than half the diameter of the tracheal tube, shallow depth of suction and the continuous suction applied upon withdrawal of the catheter. Participants included PICU nurses who performed ETS in children (0-17 years) excluding preterm neonates.Results: Four hundred and forty-six complete surveys were received from 20 countries. Most nurses (80%, 367/446) reported that their unit had local guidelines for ETS. The most common reason for suctioning (44%) was audible/visible secretions. Over half of ETS episodes (57%) used closed suction. When exploring the individual components of suction, 63% (282/446) of nurses pre-oxygenated their patient prior to suction, 71% (319/446) suctioned no further than 0.5cm past end of the endotracheal tube, 59% (261/446) used a catheter no more than half the diameter of the endotracheal tube and 78% (348/446) used continuous negative pressure. 24% of nurses gave patients an additional bolus of sedative, analgesic and/or muscle-relaxant medication prior to suction; this decision was not related to the child’s history of instability with suction, as there was no significant difference in those who reported patients had a history of being unstable with suction (p=0.80). 26% (117/446) of nurses complied with all four EBP components in the reported suctioning episode.Conclusions: Considerable variation in paediatric endotracheal suctioning practices exists internationally. While most nurses applied single components of evidence-based recommendations during ETT suctioning, just a quarter applied all four elements. Relevance for clinical practice: Nurses’ need to consider and strive to apply EBP principles to common nursing interventions such as ETS

Applying a research ethics review processes in rural practice-based research

Introduction: Partnering with rural primary care in practice-based research allows researchers access to a vital segment of the health care sector and a window into some of the most vulnerable, high-risk, high-need patient populations. The readiness for rural primary care to fully embrace research partnerships, however, is often tempered by ethical questions in conducting research in close-knit settings. This research provides practices with a refined decision support tool for evaluating the fit of research opportunities for their unique practices. Materials and Methods: A two-phase effort was conducted to glean insight from currently available literature on ethical considerations in practice-based research and augment this information by consulting with state-based subject matter experts. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders at each of the West Virginia medical schools. Results: The literature clearly acknowledges the need to ensure ethical standards in practice-based research – from the standpoints of the clinician and the researcher. The need to ensure comprehensive, culturally appropriate institutional review board approval is essential in developing and safeguarding participants. From discussions with subject matter experts, we find complementary guidance. However, tempering this sentiment is an overall caution of the unique role of rural primary care in representing and protecting the needs of the community. Five fundamental cautions regarding the conduct of practice-based research in rural settings are here identified, spanning the protection of individual patients, their communities, and clinicians. Discussion: Findings from this study can support and empower primary care clinicians and practices, especially those in rural and close-knit communities, to address essential considerations in practice-based research. Results allow for framing of a refined decision support tool for primary care practices and clinicians to use in evaluating the fit of research opportunities for their unique practices, instilling a sense of shared power in the research process by better equipping primary care to proactively engage in substantive dialogue with research partners

Applying a research ethics review processes in rural practice-based research

Introduction: Partnering with rural primary care in practice-based research allows researchers access to a vital segment of the health care sector and a window into some of the most vulnerable, high-risk, high-need patient populations. The readiness for rural primary care to fully embrace research partnerships, however, is often tempered by ethical questions in conducting research in close-knit settings. This research provides practices with a refined decision support tool for evaluating the fit of research opportunities for their unique practices. Materials and Methods: A two-phase effort was conducted to glean insight from currently available literature on ethical considerations in practice-based research and augment this information by consulting with state-based subject matter experts. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders at each of the West Virginia medical schools. Results: The literature clearly acknowledges the need to ensure ethical standards in practice-based research – from the standpoints of the clinician and the researcher. The need to ensure comprehensive, culturally appropriate institutional review board approval is essential in developing and safeguarding participants. From discussions with subject matter experts, we find complementary guidance. However, tempering this sentiment is an overall caution of the unique role of rural primary care in representing and protecting the needs of the community. Five fundamental cautions regarding the conduct of practice-based research in rural settings are here identified, spanning the protection of individual patients, their communities, and clinicians. Discussion: Findings from this study can support and empower primary care clinicians and practices, especially those in rural and close-knit communities, to address essential considerations in practice-based research. Results allow for framing of a refined decision support tool for primary care practices and clinicians to use in evaluating the fit of research opportunities for their unique practices, instilling a sense of shared power in the research process by better equipping primary care to proactively engage in substantive dialogue with research partners

Developmental histories of five preschool children

In the past few years, perhaps no other phase of psychology has received more attention than has personality development in both its scientific and popular aspects. Various aspects of personality have been treated in every conceivable form—textbooks, experimental studies, magazine and newspaper articles, self-improvement manuals, radio talks, and advertisements. Inumerable products can be purchased which supposedly open up new horizons for personal development and improvement. According to the advertisements, any product from soap to a new house will bring to the purchaser charm, attractiveness, allure, self-confidence, and social success. Can traits and attitudes be modified? Is there a certain continuity to personality patterns? What facets of a personality persist through time and remain as the core of a child's personality—his individuality? While at this point the final answer eludes this writer, these questions alone are reason enough for trying to discover to what extent various aspects of an individual's personality are persistent through part of his lifetime

A Better Life: Factors that Help and Hinder Entry and Retention in MAT from the Perspective of People in Recovery

Introduction: Opioid addiction and opioid-related overdoses and deaths are serious public health problems nationally and in West Virginia, in particular. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is an effective yet underutilized treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Purpose: Research examining factors that help individuals succeed in MAT has been conducted from provider and program perspectives, but little research has been conducted from the perspective of those in recovery. Methods: This study, co-developed with individuals in recovery, took place in West Virginia-based MAT programs using an exploratory sequential mixed methods approach. The survey was open February through August 2021. Data were analyzed late 2021 through mid 2022. Results: Respondents experienced many barriers to MAT entry and retention, including community bias / stigma, lack of affordable programming, and lack of transportation. Respondents sought MAT primarily for personal reasons, such as being tired of being sick, and tired of having to look for drugs every day. As one respondent shared, “I wanted to better my life, to get it under control.” Implications: Programs and policies should make it easy for individuals to enter treatment when ready, through affordable and accessible treatment options, reduced barriers to medications, focused outreach and education, individualized care, and reduced stigmatization

Sedimentary Processes on Venus

The sedimentary cycle, including the processes of erosion, transport, and lithification, is a key part of how planets evolve over time. Early images of Venus’s vast volcanic plains, numerous volcanoes, and rugged tectonic regions led to the interpretation that Venus is a volcanic planet with little sediment cover and perhaps few processes for generating sedimentary rocks. However, in the years since the Magellan mission in the 1990s we have developed a better understanding of sedimentary process on Venus. Impact craters are the largest present-day source of sediments, with estimates from the current crater population suggesting an average sediment layer 8–63 cm in thickness if distributed globally. There is clear evidence of fine-grained material in volcanic summit regions that is likely produced through volcanism, and dune fields and yardangs indicate transport of sediments and erosion of rocks through wind. Landslides and fine-grained materials in highland tessera regions demonstrate erosive processes that move sediment downhill. It is clear that sediments are an important part of Venus’s geology, and it is especially important to realize that they mantle features that may be of interest to future landed or low-altitude imaging missions. The sinks of sediments are less well known, as it has been difficult to identify sedimentary rocks with current data. Layering observed in Venera images and in Magellan images of some tessera regions, as well as calculated rock densities, suggest that sedimentary rocks are present on Venus. New data is needed to fully understand and quantify the present-day sedimentary cycle and establish with certainty whether sedimentary rock packages do, in fact, exist on Venus. These data sets will need to include higher-resolution optical and radar imaging, experimental and geochemical measurements to determine how chemical weathering and lithification can occur, and topography to better model mesospheric winds. Sediments and sedimentary rocks are critical to understanding how Venus works today, but are also extremely important for determining how Venus’s climate has changed through time and whether it was once a habitable planet

Pennsylvania Folklife Vol. 18, No. 4

• Discord in the Garden • The Folk Festival Seminars: Crafts and Customs of the Year • What to Read on the Amish • Soup\u27s On! • Festival Highlights • Folk Festival Program • Folk Festival Geisinger • Four Interviews with Powwowers • The First Historian of the Pennsylvania Germans • The Public Sale Sixty Years Ago • The Long Shingle • Quilts and Quilting: Folk-Cultural Questionnaire No. 12https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/pafolklifemag/1036/thumbnail.jp