Big Data, Digitization, and Social Change (Ubiquity Symposium)

The term “big data” is something of a misnomer. Every generation of computers since the 1950s has been confronted with problems where data was way too large for the memory and processing power available. This seemed like an inconvenience of the technology that would someday be resolved when the next generation of computers came along. So what is different about big data today? The revolution is happening at the convergence of two trends: the expansion of the internet into billions of computing devices, and the digitization of almost everything. The internet gives us access to vast amounts of data. Digitization creates digital representations for many things once thought to be beyond the reach of computing technology. The result is an explosion of innovation of network-based big data applications and the automation of cognitive tasks. This revolution is introducing what Brynjolfsson and McAfee call the “Second Machine Age.” This symposium will examine this revolution from a number of angles

Numerical investigation of novel microwave applicators based on zero-order mode resonance for hyperthermia treatment of cancer

This paper characterizes three novel microwave applicators based on zero-order mode resonators for use in hyperthermia treatment of cancer. The radiation patterns are studied with numerical simulations in muscle tissue-equivalent model at 434 MHz. The relative performance of the applicators is compared in terms of reflection coefficient, current distribution, power deposition (SAR) pattern, effective field size in 2D and 3D tissue volumes, and penetration depth. One particular configuration generated the most uniform SAR pattern, with 25% SAR covering 84 % of the treatment volume extending to 1 cm depth under the aperture, while remaining above 58% coverage as deep as 3 cm under the aperture. Recommendations are made to further optimize this structure

A random forest system combination approach for error detection in digital dictionaries

When digitizing a print bilingual dictionary, whether via optical character recognition or manual entry, it is inevitable that errors are introduced into the electronic version that is created. We investigate automating the process of detecting errors in an XML representation of a digitized print dictionary using a hybrid approach that combines rule-based, feature-based, and language model-based methods. We investigate combining methods and show that using random forests is a promising approach. We find that in isolation, unsupervised methods rival the performance of supervised methods. Random forests typically require training data so we investigate how we can apply random forests to combine individual base methods that are themselves unsupervised without requiring large amounts of training data. Experiments reveal empirically that a relatively small amount of data is sufficient and can potentially be further reduced through specific selection criteria.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, 10 tables; appeared in Proceedings of the Workshop on Innovative Hybrid Approaches to the Processing of Textual Data, April 201

Anything goes? Uma discussão ética sobre arte extrema

Comunicação apresentada no Seminário Interdisciplinar Saber Fazer: Talento, Conhecimento e Interacção, Lisboa, 2009. O Seminário foi organizado pelo IPA - Instituto Superior Autónomo de Estudos Politécnicos.O ponto de ignição deste texto recai, quase na sua totalidade, na crescente necessidade de uma discussão sobre um tema que, pela sua natureza litigiosa, requer um debate capaz de identificar aspectos passíveis de contestação. A história da arte habituou-nos a inúmeros movimentos de ruptura, a paradoxos e a outras contendas ao longo dos anos. Contudo, começam agora a surgir, e cada vez com maior intensidade, debates, conferências, ensaios e análises mais cuidadas que tentam iluminar um caminho de investigação sobre estas novas contendas que, parte da produção artística, tem reclamado como sua. Ora, referimo-nos, especificamente a produções que foram historicamente denominadas das mais diversas formas. Nascendo sob a égide de Body Art (titulo que ganhou outras conotações ligadas a outros campos que não apenas o da produção artística), desembocou em outras acções que foram sendo nomeadas de Carnal Art, de Bioart, de Disturbing Art e, daquela que adoptamos para este texto, baptizada por Francesca Migleti – a Arte Extrema. Estas práticas ganharam o seu nome pelas suas características síncronas, de perturbação e de libertação através do uso do obsceno, da nudez, do sangue, de excrementos, mutilações, dor, perigo e, da possibilidade iminente da morte

Bio Art meets the streets : a reflection on new forms of art engagement

Artigo apresentado no Congresso Internacional ACC – Arte, Ciencia y Ciudad na Universidade do País Basco.Public art, despite is extension to the urban landscapes, has been a limited artistic practice in terms of critical discussion. In this sense, is has been used as an urban form for remodelling or, instead, as an ordinary form of expansion of the artists audience. However, public art can be understood as a social awareness practice creating the need to set up a broader critical discourse contributing to a greater democratization to the artistic practice. In this sense, there has been a growing number of visual artists who believe that art and the role of public entities isn’t just the creation of permanent art objects, but rather a way to facilitate the creation of artworks that encourage actions, ideas and the intervention of the audience, making the public artwork an object that calls to social responsibility. Bio art has tried to demonstrate, through its aesthetic discourse, the need to establish a broader public discussion. Thus, in this paper we will highlight the importance of an odd art public project of Natalie Jeremijenko – One Tree(s) (2000). Through the questions raised by this artwork, we will reflect on how the intersection between art and technoscience can contribute to a greater extension of the idea of hard humanities and on how a larger critical reflection can be exercise through and beyond the art world toward a field that involves in the same discourse art, science, society and the urban network

A comparison of substance use stigma and health stigma in a population of veterans with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders

OBJECTIVE: This pilot study examined whether substance use or mental illness was more stigmatizing among individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse problems. METHODS: This study included 48 individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental health problems enrolled in a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services funded treatment program. Subjects received a baseline assessment that included addiction, mental health, and stigma measures. RESULTS: The sample consisted primarily of White males with an average age of 38 years. Substance abuse was found to be more stigmatizing than mental illness, F(1, 47) = 14.213, p < .001, and stigma varied across four different levels of stigma (Aware, Agree, Apply, and Harm), F(2.099, 98.675) = 117.883, p < .001. The interaction between type and level of stigma was also significant, F(2.41, 113.284) = 20.250, p < .001, indicating that differences in reported stigma between types varied across levels of stigma. Post hoc tests found a significant difference between all levels of stigma except for the comparison between Apply and Harm. Reported stigma was significantly higher for substance abuse than mental illness at the Aware and Agree levels. In addition, pairwise comparisons found significant differences between all levels of stigma with the exception of the comparison between Apply and Harm, indicating a pattern whereby reported stigma generally decreased from the first level (Aware stage) to subsequent levels. CONCLUSIONS: These results have important implications for treatment, suggesting the need to incorporate anti-stigma interventions for individuals with co-occurring disorders with a greater focus on substance abuse

Um mundo sem gravidade: a libertação do corpo na obra de Sergio Prego

Neste artigo propõe-se uma discussão sobre a original abordagem do corpo enquanto objeto na obra de Sergio Prego. Procura-se compreender o jogo entre virtual e real que o corpo ocupa nas suas estratégias estéticas. Através da análise das suas obras mais emblemáticas, poderemos verificar a forma como estabelece um jogo entre dicotomias e representa, simultaneamente, um olhar sobre a definição do espectador face ao espaço e ao tempo

On the Angular Dependence of InP High Electron Mobility Transistors for Cryogenic Low Noise Amplifiers in a Magnetic Field

The InGaAs-InAlAs-InP high electron mobility transistor (InP HEMT) is the preferred active device used in a cryogenic low noise amplifier (LNA) for sensitive detection of microwave signals. We observed that an InP HEMT 0.3-14GHz LNA at 2K, where the in-going transistors were oriented perpendicular to a magnetic field, heavily degraded in gain and average noise temperature already up to 1.5T. Dc measurements for InP HEMTs at 2K revealed a strong reduction in the transistor output current as a function of static magnetic field up to 14T. In contrast, the current reduction was insignificant when the InP HEMT was oriented parallel to the magnetic field. Given the transistor layout with large gate width/gate length ratio, the results suggest a strong geometrical magnetoresistance effect occurring in the InP HEMT. This was confirmed in the angular dependence of the transistor output current with respect to the magnetic field. Key device parameters such as transconductance and on-resistance were significantly affected at small angles and magnetic fields. The strong angular dependence of the InP HEMT output current in a magnetic field has important implications for the alignment of cryogenic LNAs in microwave detection experiments involving magnetic fields