"Plug-and-Play" Edge-Preserving Regularization

In many inverse problems it is essential to use regularization methods that preserve edges in the reconstructions, and many reconstruction models have been developed for this task, such as the Total Variation (TV) approach. The associated algorithms are complex and require a good knowledge of large-scale optimization algorithms, and they involve certain tolerances that the user must choose. We present a simpler approach that relies only on standard computational building blocks in matrix computations, such as orthogonal transformations, preconditioned iterative solvers, Kronecker products, and the discrete cosine transform -- hence the term "plug-and-play." We do not attempt to improve on TV reconstructions, but rather provide an easy-to-use approach to computing reconstructions with similar properties.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, 3 table

The Effects of the bio-inspired pulsed electromagnetic fields on ATP and health

All cells in the body need Calcium, Oxygen, Glucose, Potassium and Magnesium etc., to correctly function. Calcium, Oxygen and Glucose are essential for the production of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). ATP is the basic ‘fuel’ needed to drive the mitochondria that are the cells’ main energy producers. So it is very important that cells are able to produce enough ATP. The more ATP that is produced, the healthier cells are and the healthier we are. It is also known that electromagnetic signals have considerable effects on ATP levels. If ATP can be measured, then the cells’ healthiness can be defined and evaluated. So it is necessary to investigate how to measure ATP, the effects of bio-inspired electro-magnetic signals on ATP levels and the relationships between ATP and cells’ health (human health). There has been a lot of research on ATP, however, as far as the authors are aware, there has been limited research on how to measure ATP and the effects of electromagnetic fields on ATP, especially, the effects of bio-inspired electromagnetic fields. In this paper, certain equipment for measuring ATP for hygiene monitoring is employed to measure the ATP levels of a number of people with and without bio-inspired pulsed electromagnetic fields (BIPEF) to investigate how BIPEF influence the ATP levels of people and by directly connecting their health. The test results show that most people's ATP levels are significantly increased (up to 600% increase) after they stayed in the BIPEF for a period of about 20 minutes. The averages of ATP% increase are 241% for British group and 111% for Chinese group. The findings confirm that the BIPEF does have significant effects on people's ATP levels. This means that the cellular biosynthesis processes of those people in the bio-inspired pulsed electromagnetic fields have been enhanced. So their energy and health are positively affected

Approach to E-Business: A Case Study of Shanghai Tobacco Group Corporation

With the fast development of Internet, e-Business is prospering in the recently five years. Many traditional companies have been convinced of this revolutionary change, and they are exploring a feasible way to adapt to the transition. Chinese companies have weaker bases than the developed countries, but they are also cognizant of the big trend, and are making great efforts to grasp the opportunities. This paper introduces a practical Chinese case that illustrates the increasingly strategic role of e-business applications in traditional manufacturing industries. The company we studied is a large Chinese tobacco corporation, which locates in Shanghai, one of the most developed areas of China. After the WTO entry of China, the regulation system of Chinese tobacco industry will be transformed from STMA (State Tobacco Monopoly Administration) to a more open one. This will bring about more competitive pressures to Chinese tobacco enterprises. How can traditional large corporations adapt to the real new economy in the new environment, it is a big problem that most of the Chinese tobacco corporation faced on. Sensing the challenges and opportunities, Shanghai Tobacco Group Corporation started to search after a new development way, and they intend to develop an e-business application model to improve its distribution processes to integrate their purchasing, manufacturing, delivering, logistics, and sales. Studying such a typical large company , it may be helpful for other large company in other industry. This paper first reports the background of Chinese tobacco industry and a brief history of the IT applications in Shanghai Tobacco Group Corporation (in the next part we use SHTG for short), then we discusses the environment and business factors that led to the e-business application. Based on the above introductions and discussions, we illustrate an e-business solution to handle the situation SHTG faced

The impact of bank merger growth on CEO compensation

We examine the impact of bank mergers on chief executive officer (CEO) compensation during the period 1992–2014, a period characterised by significant banking consolidation. We show that CEO compensation is positively related to both merger growth and non-merger internal growth, with the former relationship being higher in magnitude. While CEO pay–risk sensitivity is not significantly related to merger growth, CEO pay–performance sensitivity is negatively and significantly related to merger growth. Collectively, our results suggest that, through bank mergers, CEOs can earn higher compensation and decouple personal wealth from bank performance. Furthermore, we document a more severe agency problem in CEO compensation as a consequence of bank mergers relative to mergers in industrial firms. Finally, we find that the post-financial crisis regulatory reform of executive compensation in banks has limited effectiveness in curbing the merger–pay links

Optical and chemical control of the wettability of nanoporous photoswitchable films

Wettability is a central surface property of functional thin films. Here, we present a nanoporous film made of an azobenzene-containing metal-organic framework material where the wettability is controlled by photoswitching of the fluorinated azobenzene moieties and by reversible incorporation of guest molecules with different polarities in the pores. Using both, the optical and the chemical stimuli, the water contact angle was modified over a wide range, from 23° to 97°