Manifold embedding for curve registration

We focus on the problem of finding a good representative of a sample of random curves warped from a common pattern f. We first prove that such a problem can be moved onto a manifold framework. Then, we propose an estimation of the common pattern f based on an approximated geodesic distance on a suitable manifold. We then compare the proposed method to more classical methods

Partial containment control over signed graphs

In this paper, we deal with the containment control problem in presence of antagonistic interactions. In particular, we focus on the cases in which it is not possible to contain the entire network due to a constrained number of control signals. In this scenario, we study the problem of selecting the nodes where control signals have to be injected to maximize the number of contained nodes. Leveraging graph condensations, we find a suboptimal and computationally efficient solution to this problem, which can be implemented by solving an integer linear problem. The effectiveness of the selection strategy is illustrated through representative simulations.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, accepted for presentation at the 2019 European Control Conference (ECC19), Naples, Ital

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease characterised by insulin deficiency and resultant hyperglycaemia. Knowledge of type 1 diabetes has rapidly increased over the past 25 years, resulting in a broad understanding about many aspects of the disease, including its genetics, epidemiology, immune and β-cell phenotypes, and disease burden. Interventions to preserve β cells have been tested, and several methods to improve clinical disease management have been assessed. However, wide gaps still exist in our understanding of type 1 diabetes and our ability to standardise clinical care and decrease disease-associated complications and burden. This Seminar gives an overview of the current understanding of the disease and potential future directions for research and care

Fear Feedback Loop: Creative and Dynamic Fear Experiences Driven by User Emotion

This thesis examines whether it is possible to generate fear-eliciting media that custom fits to the user. The system described uses a genetic algorithm to produce images that get more scary through the generations in reaction to either physiological signals obtained from the user or a user-provided fear rating. The system was able to detect differing levels of fear using a regression trained on EEG and heart rate data gathered while users view clips from horror movies. It was also found to produce images with significantly higher fear ratings at the fifth generation as compared to the first generation. These higher scoring images were found to be unique between subjects

Training Army Judge Advocates to Advise Commanders as Operational Law Attorneys

Today, U.S. Army commanders and the military lawyers assigned to advise them—Army Judge Advocates—find themselves operating in areas of extreme legal complexity, where nuanced political and strategic implications are often at the forefront, and where “black letter law” is rarely sufficient to render competent advice. Through formal training at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, observance of the lessons learned by other Judge Advocates collected by the Center for Law and Military Operations, and hands-on training at Combat Training Centers, Army Judge Advocates are prepared to address the ever-increasing operational demands of the commanders who rely on their advice

A Phylogenetic Analysis of the Genus Fragaria (Strawberry) Using Intron-Containing Sequence from the ADH-1 Gene

The genus Fragaria encompasses species at ploidy levels ranging from diploid to decaploid. The cultivated strawberry, Fragaria×ananassa, and its two immediate progenitors, F. chiloensis and F. virginiana, are octoploids. To elucidate the ancestries of these octoploid species, we performed a phylogenetic analysis using intron-containing sequences of the nuclear ADH-1 gene from 39 germplasm accessions representing nineteen Fragaria species and one outgroup species, Dasiphora fruticosa. All trees from Maximum Parsimony and Maximum Likelihood analyses showed two major clades, Clade A and Clade B. Each of the sampled octoploids contributed alleles to both major clades. All octoploid-derived alleles in Clade A clustered with alleles of diploid F. vesca, with the exception of one octoploid allele that clustered with the alleles of diploid F. mandshurica. All octoploid-derived alleles in clade B clustered with the alleles of only one diploid species, F. iinumae. When gaps encoded as binary characters were included in the Maximum Parsimony analysis, tree resolution was improved with the addition of six nodes, and the bootstrap support was generally higher, rising above the 50% threshold for an additional nine branches. These results, coupled with the congruence of the sequence data and the coded gap data, validate and encourage the employment of sequence sets containing gaps for phylogenetic analysis. Our phylogenetic conclusions, based upon sequence data from the ADH-1 gene located on F. vesca linkage group II, complement and generally agree with those obtained from analyses of protein-encoding genes GBSSI-2 and DHAR located on F. vesca linkage groups V and VII, respectively, but differ from a previous study that utilized rDNA sequences and did not detect the ancestral role of F. iinumae

Why the 30 Percent Mansfield Rule Can\u27t Work: A Supply-Demand Empirical Analysis of Leadership in the Legal Profession

The Mansfield Rule proposes that if 30 percent of the candidate pool is drawn from underrepresented groups, then a legal workplace will become more diverse and inclusive as a result. However, across the legal profession, statistics related to the numbers of women and other underrepresented groups in leadership roles continue to paint a bleak picture of diversity and inclusion. Professor Cecchi-Dimeglio’s Essay presents a supply-demand empirical analysis of the legal profession at the leadership level, and argues that the 30 percent Mansfield Rule ultimately does not enhance diversity in the legal profession, especially in leadership positions

Varieties of service economies in Europe

This paper identifies the varieties and dynamics of service economies in Europe, analysing the role of knowledge base and innovative efforts and their evolution across time and countries. Results based on aggregated macroeconomic data indicate that there is no convergence trend towards a single service economy model. Moreover, different service economies models can be associated with institutional and welfare state diversity. When analysing a comprehensive set of indicators at a disaggregated level a more detailed pattern of service economies emerges. The structural composition of countries plays a prominent role, while heterogeneity is driven by uneven knowledge bases and innovative efforts