20,765 research outputs found
Human and machine validation of 14 databases of dynamic facial expressions
With a shift in interest toward dynamic expressions, numerous corpora of dynamic facial stimuli have been developed over the past two decades. The present research aimed to test existing sets of dynamic facial expressions (published between 2000 and 2015) in a cross-corpus validation effort. For this, 14 dynamic databases were selected that featured facial expressions of the basic six emotions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise) in posed or spontaneous form. In Study 1, a subset of stimuli from each database (N = 162) were presented to human observers and machine analysis, yielding considerable variance in emotion recognition performance across the databases. Classification accuracy further varied with perceived intensity and naturalness of the displays, with posed expressions being judged more accurately and as intense, but less natural compared to spontaneous ones. Study 2 aimed for a full validation of the 14 databases by subjecting the entire stimulus set (N = 3812) to machine analysis. A FACS-based Action Unit (AU) analysis revealed that facial AU configurations were more prototypical in posed than spontaneous expressions. The prototypicality of an expression in turn predicted emotion classification accuracy, with higher performance observed for more prototypical facial behavior. Furthermore, technical features of each database (i.e., duration, face box size, head rotation, and motion) had a significant impact on recognition accuracy. Together, the findings suggest that existing databases vary in their ability to signal specific emotions, thereby facing a trade-off between realism and ecological validity on the one end, and expression uniformity and comparability on the other
The Bionic Clicker Mark I & II
In this paper we present two ‘Bionic Clicker’ systems, the first designed to demonstrate electromyography (EMG) based control systems for educational purposes and the second for research purposes. EMG based control systems pick up electrical signals generated by muscle activation and use these as inputs for controllers. EMG controllers are widely used in prosthetics to control limbs.
The Mark I (MK I) clicker allows the wearer to change the slide of a presentation by raising their index finger. It is built around a microcontroller and a bio-signals shield. It generated a lot of interest from both the public and research community.
The Mark II (MK II) device presented here was designed to be a cheaper, sleeker, and more customizable system that can be easily modified and directly transmit EMG data. It is built using a wireless capable microcontroller and a muscle sensor
A memetic algorithm with adaptive hill climbing strategy for dynamic optimization problems
Copyright @ Springer-Verlag 2008Dynamic optimization problems challenge traditional evolutionary algorithms seriously since they, once converged, cannot adapt quickly to environmental changes. This paper investigates the application of memetic algorithms, a class of hybrid evolutionary algorithms, for dynamic optimization problems. An adaptive hill climbing method is proposed as the local search technique in the framework of memetic algorithms, which combines the features of greedy crossover-based hill climbing and steepest mutation-based hill climbing. In order to address the convergence problem, two diversity maintaining methods, called adaptive dual mapping and triggered random immigrants, respectively, are also introduced into the proposed memetic algorithm for dynamic optimization problems. Based on a series of dynamic problems generated from several stationary benchmark problems, experiments are carried out to investigate the performance of the proposed memetic algorithm in comparison with some peer evolutionary algorithms. The experimental results show the efficiency of the proposed memetic algorithm in dynamic environments.This work was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under Grant Nos. 70431003 and 70671020, the National Innovation Research Community Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 60521003, and the National Support Plan of China under Grant No. 2006BAH02A09 and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) of UK under Grant EP/E060722/01
Statistical Laws Governing Fluctuations in Word Use from Word Birth to Word Death
We analyze the dynamic properties of 10^7 words recorded in English, Spanish
and Hebrew over the period 1800--2008 in order to gain insight into the
coevolution of language and culture. We report language independent patterns
useful as benchmarks for theoretical models of language evolution. A
significantly decreasing (increasing) trend in the birth (death) rate of words
indicates a recent shift in the selection laws governing word use. For new
words, we observe a peak in the growth-rate fluctuations around 40 years after
introduction, consistent with the typical entry time into standard dictionaries
and the human generational timescale. Pronounced changes in the dynamics of
language during periods of war shows that word correlations, occurring across
time and between words, are largely influenced by coevolutionary social,
technological, and political factors. We quantify cultural memory by analyzing
the long-term correlations in the use of individual words using detrended
fluctuation analysis.Comment: Version 1: 31 pages, 17 figures, 3 tables. Version 2 is streamlined,
eliminates substantial material and incorporates referee comments: 19 pages,
14 figures, 3 table
First-order flows and stabilisation equations for non-BPS extremal black holes
We derive a generalised form of flow equations for extremal static and
rotating non-BPS black holes in four-dimensional ungauged N = 2 supergravity
coupled to vector multiplets. For particular charge vectors, we give
stabilisation equations for the scalars, analogous to the BPS case, describing
full known solutions. Based on this, we propose a generic ansatz for the
stabilisation equations, which surprisingly includes ratios of harmonic
functions.Comment: 27 pages; v2: presentation improved and references added as in the
published versio
Multi-Centered Black Hole Flows
We describe the systematical construction of the first order formalism for
multi-centered black holes with flat three dimensional base-space, within the
so-called model of N=2, D=4 ungauged Maxwell-Einstein supergravity. The
three possible flow classes (BPS, composite non-BPS and almost-BPS) are
analyzed in detail, and various solutions, such as single-centered (static or
under-rotating) and all known multi-centered black holes, are recovered in this
unified framework. We also consider the possibility of obtaining new solutions.
The almost-BPS class is proved to split into two general sub-classes,
corresponding to a positive or negative value of the duality-invariant
polynomial for the total charge; the well known almost BPS system is shown to
be a particular solution of the second sub-class.Comment: 17 pages,no figure
Chromium(VI) reduction by ascorbate: role of reactive intermediates in DNA damage in vitro.
Reaction of chromium(VI) with one equivalent of ascorbate was studied by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy in the presence of 0.10 M 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide (DMPO) at room temperature in 0.10 M (N-[2-hydroxyethyl]piperazine-N'-[2-ethanesulfonic acid]) (HEPES) and 0.05 M tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane hydrochloride (Tris-HCl) buffers (pH 7.0 room temperature). Chromium(V), ascorbyl radical, and carbon-based DMPO-radical adducts were observed. A higher level of Cr(V) was observed in HEPES buffer and a higher level of the DMPO-radical adducts was observed in Tris-HCl buffer. Chromium-DNA binding studies were carried out in vitro for calf thymus DNA incubated with Cr(VI) and ascorbate in both buffers at 37 degrees C. Higher Cr-DNA binding was observed in HEPES buffer. DNA strand-break studies were carried out in vitro on pBR322 DNA incubated with Cr(VI) and ascorbate in both buffers at 37 degrees C. Higher percent nicking was observed in Tris-HCl buffer. Addition of DMPO decreased nicking levels in Tris-HCl buffer. These results suggest that free radicals are more reactive than Cr(V) in producing DNA strand breaks and that Cr(V) will react with DNA to produce Cr-DNA adducts. The fact that buffer affects the nature of the reactive intermediates produced upon reduction of Cr(VI) may be related to differences in intracellular metabolism of Cr(VI) and resulting DNA damage observed in various cell culture systems and animal tissues in vivo
Duality covariant non-BPS first order systems
We study extremal black hole solutions to four dimensional N=2 supergravity
based on a cubic symmetric scalar manifold. Using the coset construction
available for these models, we define the first order flow equations implied by
the corresponding nilpotency conditions on the three-dimensional scalar momenta
for the composite non-BPS class of multi-centre black holes. As an application,
we directly solve these equations for the single-centre subclass, and write the
general solution in a manifestly duality covariant form. This includes all
single-centre under-rotating non-BPS solutions, as well as their
non-interacting multi-centre generalisations.Comment: 31 pages, v2: Discussion of the quadratic constraint clarified,
references added, typos corrected, published versio
Effect on health-related quality of life of the X-Bolt dynamic plating system versus the sliding hip screw for the fixation of trochanteric fractures of the hip in adults: the WHiTE Four randomized clinical trial
Aims
Surgical treatment of hip fracture is challenging; the bone is porotic and fixation failure can be catastrophic. Novel implants are available which may yield superior clinical outcomes. This study compared the clinical effectiveness of the novel X-Bolt Hip System (XHS) with the sliding hip screw (SHS) for the treatment of fragility hip fractures.
Methods
We conducted a multicentre, superiority, randomized controlled trial. Patients aged 60 years and older with a trochanteric hip fracture were recruited in ten acute UK NHS hospitals. Participants were randomly allocated to fixation of their fracture with XHS or SHS. A total of 1,128 participants were randomized with 564 participants allocated to each group. Participants and outcome assessors were blind to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was the EuroQol five-dimension five-level health status (EQ-5D-5L) utility at four months. The minimum clinically important difference in utility was pre-specified at 0.075. Secondary outcomes were EQ-5D-5L utility at 12 months, mortality, residential status, mobility, revision surgery, and radiological measures.
Results
Overall, 437 and 443 participants were analyzed in the primary intention-to-treat analysis in XHS and SHS treatment groups respectively. There was a mean difference of 0.029 in adjusted utility index in favour of XHS with no evidence of a difference between treatment groups (95% confidence interval -0.013 to 0.070; p = 0.175). There was no evidence of any differences between treatment groups in any of the secondary outcomes. The pattern and overall risk of adverse events associated with both treatments was similar.
Conclusion
Any difference in four-month health-related quality of life between the XHS and SHS is small and not clinically important. There was no evidence of a difference in the safety profile of the two treatments; both were associated with lower risks of revision surgery than previously reported
The extremal black holes of N=4 supergravity from so(8,2+n) nilpotent orbits
We consider the stationary solutions of N=4 supergravity coupled to n vector
multiplets that define linear superpositions of non-interacting extremal black
holes. The most general solutions of this type are derived from the graded
decompositions of so(8,2+n) associated to its nilpotent orbits. We illustrate
the formalism by giving explicitly asymptotically Minkowski non-BPS solutions
of the most exotic class depending on 6+n harmonic functions.Comment: Corrected version for publication, references adde
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