Optimizations to the orthogonal matching pursuit algorithm for sparse basis representations of photometric redshift PDFs

In this thesis I investigate potential optimizations for the K-SVD algorithm (using Orthogonal Matching Pursuit) to create a sparse basis representation of probability density functions (PDFs), as implemented by NCSA research affiliate Matias Carrasco Kind and Professor Robert J. Brunner. The implementation these scientists engineered is currently being used to compress PDFs of photometric redshifts (i.e., distance estimates) for galaxies by about 90%. This implementation allows end-users to easily reconstruct the original PDF with accuracies better than 98%. As we continue to mine large, photometric sky surveys, photometric redshift PDF storage will need to scale appropriately; thus, meaningful advances in this algorithm's implementation will serve to demonstrably benefit our scientific ability to explore the Universe and to expand our cosmological understanding. However, the existing implementation of the algorithm is limited by run time—an issue that continues to grow more important as the amount of data surveys acquired becomes larger. The existing implementation utilizes SciPy, a scientific computing Python library. This past semester, I have explored this implementation by developing and testing alternative approaches to the core algorithms in C++, beginning with different linear algebra libraries. In my initial tests, I found that limitations in Eigen, a C++ linear algebra library, make it difficult to accurately reproduce both the results and the exaction speeds due to the optimizations that NumPy, the Python numerical library, already has implemented. Next, I pivoted to Armadillo, another C++ linear algebra library, where I discovered that the primary algorithm runs slightly quicker than its Python counterpart. This research is an ongoing project, and I am excited to continue my investigations into hardware assists, specifically in testing the efficiency of GPU-accelerated computation (NVBLAS). Once I have identified an optimization, I look forward to implementing Batch Orthogonal Matching Pursuit, an algorithm more suited for large sets of PDFs over a single dictionary, and, if time permits, an algorithm that can be extended to support two-dimensional PDF representations.Ope

Mass Consumption in Milwaukee: 1920-1970

This study focuses on mass consumption\u27s role in the development of the city of Milwaukee. This study\u27s main focus is on the mid-twentieth century, though this case study will look at mass consumption\u27s role in Milwaukee from its founding to the present. Mass consumption focuses on the actions of buying and selling and how consumer options reflected the city\u27s general development. After studying the composition of Milwaukee\u27s population and income levels, the story of mass consumption in Milwaukee will be told through studying how automobiles and food were bought and sold, as well as how other assorted shopping venues affected the city. This dissertation illustrates that over the course of the twentieth century, mass consumption in Milwaukee was guided by assorted innovations. Automobiles gave consumers the ability to travel lengthy distances in a relatively short time while carrying large quantities of goods. At the start of the twentieth century, cars were an expensive novelty. By 1970, automobiles were ubiquitous. In 1920, most Milwaukeeans bought their food from small grocery stores in their neighborhoods. Fifty years later, large supermarkets catered to most of the city\u27s consumers. Milwaukee\u27s major shopping venues changed dramatically over the course of half a century. Early in the 1900\u27s, Milwaukee\u27s major shopping venues were mainly department stores located in the downtown business district. Late in the century, the most prominent consumption locations were massive shopping centers and malls spaced throughout the city. This study also briefly points to the ways in which mass consumption affected the use of space in Milwaukee. As Milwaukee grew and expanded, retail operations followed. As in most American cities, Milwaukee\u27s residential communities (which often included several small stores) as well as a once-bustling downtown business district, were gradually decentralized. As a result, new shopping venues were created to support consumer residential patterns. Changing patterns and venues of mass consumption re-sculpted the city and metropolitan area of Milwaukee. Between 1920 and 1970, Milwaukee\u27s economic history can be divided into four main eras, which may be titled as follows: boom (the 1920\u27s), bust (the Great Depression), war (WWII), and prosperity (the post-war era)

Anne Finch's 'contemn'd Retreat' and the politics of lyric

This article reevaluates Anne Finch’s reputation as a poet and considers how, until recently, critics interpreted her poetry according to a romanticized model of lyric: one whose modeling of introspective feeling and a withdrawal from the contemporary world conditions an apolitical understanding of poetic practice. Beginning with an assessment of modern theories of lyric, the article proceeds to trace a history of the construction of Finch as a poetess of lyrical retreat, rather than as one who was forced to retreat from London following the Revolution of 1688. The article then turns to “A Pindarick Poem. Upon the Hurricane in November 1703” to show how, in a moment of personal and national precarity, Finch named her “contemn’d Retreat” as the essential precondition of her poetry. This poem, in turn, reverses the conclusion which historians and theorists of lyric have drawn from her work: that her retreat enabled a lyric practice far removed from her political circumstances

How Many Pairs of Running Shoes would Sonic Need?

This paper describes and calculates the number of pairs of running shoes that Sonic would need while completing the original 1991 version of the game Sonic the Hedgehog if he did not have his Power Sneakers. Calculations show that only one pair of running shoes would be needed, as the total distance ran in the entire game is 6.17 km. As running shoes are suggested to be replaced every 500 km in order to ensure effective shock absorption, it is concluded that Sonic would be only need a single pair of regular running shoes

Reduced Retinal Microvascular Density, Improved Forepaw Reach, Comparative Microarray and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis with c-jun Targeting DNA Enzyme

Retinal neovascularization is a critical component in the pathogenesis of common ocular disorders that cause blindness, and treatment options are limited. We evaluated the therapeutic effect of a DNA enzyme targeting c-jun mRNA in mice with pre-existing retinal neovascularization. A single injection of Dz13 in a lipid formulation containing N-[1-(2,3-dioleoyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N-trimethylammonium methyl-sulfate and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine inhibited c-Jun expression and reduced retinal microvascular density. The DNAzyme inhibited retinal microvascular density as effectively as VEGF-A antibodies. Comparative microarray and gene expression analysis determined that Dz13 suppressed not only c-jun but a range of growth factors and matrix-degrading enzymes. Dz13 in this formulation inhibited microvascular endothelial cell proliferation, migration and tubule formation in vitro. Moreover, animals treated with Dz13 sensed the top of the cage in a modified forepaw reach model, unlike mice given a DNAzyme with scrambled RNA-binding arms that did not affect c-Jun expression. These findings demonstrate reduction of microvascular density and improvement in forepaw reach in mice administered catalytic DNA.This work was supported by grants from Cancer Institute NSW and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Consumption

This paper looks to provide insight on the Canadian stereotype of using and producing maple syrup, investigating if the Canadian production of the sweetener could support each Canadian having maple syrup at breakfast every day for a year. First, it is estimated how much maple syrup would be consumed for a specific age group and sex using suggested daily Calorie (kcal) values and Canadian demographic population estimates. A sample calculation is outlined for males aged 20-24, finding that solely for this age group it would require 6.24x104 L of maple syrup for one day’s consumption. This method is then repeated for each age group and sex (see Appendix), then summed and multiplied by 365, getting a final value of 5.11x108 L of maple syrup in total for the whole year. Therefore, it was determined that since the annual production of maple syrup in 2017 was only 5.69x107 L, it would not be sustainable for every Canadian to have maple syrup at breakfast for an entire year

Twitter and digital diplomacy: China and COVID-19

This Strategic Update explores how official Chinese foreign policy entities have used Twitter as a public diplomacy platform during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nature of their Twitter activity, and what this means for Chinese Twitter Diplomacy in the future

Every Step Counts: Adapting Qualtrics to Encourage Student Engagement in Library Orientations

Many libraries have adopted gamification strategies to enhance their orientation programmes, in the hope of encouraging better student engagement via goal-based design. A literature review reveals a lack of in-depth, granular data on participant behavior in these gamified activities, with evidence generally limited to post-event feedback and comments. Such data could potentially provide insights to help assess the extent to which orientation programme outcomes have been achieved. An example of an orientation activity with in-depth usage data is provided by Hong Kong Baptist University Library’s paperless, mobile-assisted Library Mystery Challenge (the Challenge). Designed using the popular data collection and analysis platform Qualtrics, the Challenge is presented to students as a scenario where they are tasked with helping the Library to find a missing student. Participants are given a series of clues that lead them to various locations, and at each stop they are provided with information on the nearby facilities and services. The Challenge has been run three times since Fall 2016, with close to 100% positive feedback from participants. Game design using Qualtrics is cost-effective, customizable and scalable, and has required minimal staffing resources. The authors will present the design principles of the Challenge, with a particular emphasis on how librarians analyzed student data recorded at each step of completion in the Challenge, for example, participation and retention, average time to completion, etc., and how these insights into student behavior were used to refine the user experience in subsequent iterations of the Challenge. Practical suggestions and advice for making informed decisions through the use of data analytics tools will also be shared