ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE RATERS: NEURAL NETWORKS FOR RATING PICTORIAL EXPRESSION

Previous studies on classification of fine art show that features of paintings can be captured and categorized using machine learning approaches. This progress can also benefit art psychology by facilitating data collection on artworks without the need to recruit experts as raters. In this study a machine learning approach is used to predict the ratings of RizbA, a Rating instrument for two-dimensional pictorial works. Based on a pre-trained model, the algorithm was fine-tuned via transfer learning on 886 pictorial works by contemporary professional artists and non-professionals. As quality criterion, artificial intelligence raters (ART) are compared with generic raters (GR) created from the real human expert raters, using error rate and mean squared error (MSE). ART ratings have been found to have the same error range as randomly chosen human ratings. Therefore, they can be seen as equivalent to real human expert raters for almost all items in RizbA. Further training with more data will close the gap to the human raters on all items

The Role of Surface Characteristics in the Initial Adhesion of Human Bone-Derived Cells on Ceramics

The tissue/biomaterial interactions of three biomaterials of potential use in bone implants were studied in vitro. The mechanism of cell adherence to various ceramic substrata has been investigated by measurement of short term (90 minutes) cell attachment and spreading rate. We have determined the effect of two serum glycoproteins, fibronectin and vitronectin, on the adhesion of human bone derived cells (HBD-cells) cultured on three different types of ceramics {alumina (Al2O3), hydroxyapatite (HAP) and yttria-doped tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP)} . The attachment of HBD-cells to alumina and hydroxyapatite was approximately 60% of that to Y-TZP. Furthermore, the requirement for serum adhesive glycoproteins vitronectin and fibronectin, for HBD-cell attachment to Al2O3, HAP and Y-TZP reveals a dependence upon serum vitronectin for the initial attachment of HBD-cells. There was no difference in the mechanism of initial adhesion between bioactive hydroxyapatite, as compared to the bioinert ceramics, alumina and Y-TZP, so the mechanism of the initial attachment of HBD-cells appears not to be dependent on the ceramic composition. The effect of surface roughness of alumina in the order of 8.3-70.7 nm on the adhesion of HBD-cells was also investigated. The Al2O3 disks with a root mean square surface roughness (roughness assessment: Ra) value of 8.3 nm had significantly fewer cells attached than those with an Ra of 70.7 nm

Panel stationary tests against changes in persistence

In this paper we propose new panel tests to detect changes in persistence. The test statistics are used to test the null hypothesis of stationarity against the alternative of a change in persistence from I(0) to I(1), from I(1) to I(0), and in an unknown direction. The limiting null distributions of the tests are derived and evaluated in small samples by means of Monte Carlo simulations. An empirical illustration is also provided.Wallenberg Academy Fellowship; The Jan Wallander and Tom Hedelius Foundatio

Patterns of mitochondrial DNA instability in Brassica campestris cultured cells

We previously showed that the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of a Brassica campestris callus culture had undergone extensive rearrangements (i.e. large inversions and a duplication) relative to DNA of the control plant [54]. In this study we observed that after continued growth, the mtDNA of this culture continues to change, with rearranged forms amplifying and diminishing to varying proportions. Strikingly similar changes were detected in the mtDNA profiles of a variety of other long- and short-term callus and cell suspension lines. However, the proportions of parental (‘unrearranged’) and novel (‘rearranged’) forms varied in different cultured cell mtDNAs. To address the source of this heterogeneity, we compared the mtDNA organization of 28 individual plants from the parental seed stock. With the exception of one plant containing high levels of a novel plasmid-like mtDNA molecule, no significant variation was detected among individual plants and therefore source plant variation is unlikely to have contributed to the diversity of mitochondrial genomes observed in cultured cells. The source of this culture-induced heterogeneity was also investigated in 16 clones derived from single protoplasts. A mixed population of unrearranged and rearranged mtDNA molecules was apprent in each protoclone, suggesting that the observed heterogeneity in various cultures might reflect the genomic composition of each individual cell; however, the induction of an intercellular heterogeneity subsequent to the protoplast isolation was not tested and therefore cannot be ruled out. The results of this study support our earlier model that the rapid structural alteration of B. campestris mtDNA in vitro results from preferential amplification and reassortment of minor pre-existing forms of the genome rather than de novo rearrangement. Infrequent recombination between short dispersed repeated elements is proposed as the underlying mechanism for the formation of these minor mtDNA molecules.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43428/1/11103_2004_Article_BF00017914.pd

Sociocultural and epidemiological aspects of HIV/AIDS in Mozambique

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A legacy of colonial rule coupled with a devastating 16-year civil war through 1992 left Mozambique economically impoverished just as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic swept over southern Africa in the late 1980s. The crumbling Mozambican health care system was wholly inadequate to support the need for new chronic disease services for people with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To review the unique challenges faced by Mozambique as they have attempted to stem the HIV epidemic, we undertook a systematic literature review through multiple search engines (PubMed, Google Scholar™, SSRN, AnthropologyPlus, AnthroSource) using Mozambique as a required keyword. We searched for any articles that included the required keyword as well as the terms 'HIV' and/or 'AIDS', 'prevalence', 'behaviors', 'knowledge', 'attitudes', 'perceptions', 'prevention', 'gender', drugs, alcohol, and/or 'health care infrastructure'.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>UNAIDS 2008 prevalence estimates ranked Mozambique as the 8^thmost HIV-afflicted nation globally. In 2007, measured HIV prevalence in 36 antenatal clinic sites ranged from 3% to 35%; the national estimate of was 16%. Evidence suggests that the Mozambican HIV epidemic is characterized by a preponderance of heterosexual infections, among the world's most severe health worker shortages, relatively poor knowledge of HIV/AIDS in the general population, and lagging access to HIV preventive and therapeutic services compared to counterpart nations in southern Africa. Poor education systems, high levels of poverty and gender inequality further exacerbate HIV incidence.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Recommendations to reduce HIV incidence and AIDS mortality rates in Mozambique include: health system strengthening, rural outreach to increase testing and linkage to care, education about risk reduction and drug adherence, and partnerships with traditional healers and midwives to effect a lessening of stigma.</p

One step ATRP initiator immobilization on surfaces leading to gradient-grafted polymer brushes

Published: April 30, 2014A method is described that allows potentially any surface to be functionalized covalently with atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiators derived from ethyl-2-bromoisobutyrl bromide in a single step. In addition, the initiator surface density was variable and tunable such that the thickness of polymer chain grafted from the surface varied greatly on the surfaces providing examples, across the surface of a substrate, of increased chain stretching due to the entropic nature of crowded polymer chains leading toward polymer brushes. An initiator gradient of increasing surface density was deposited by plasma copolymerization of an ATRP initiator (ethyl 2-bromoisobutyrate) and a non-ATRP reactive diluent molecule (ethanol). The deposited plasma polymer retained its chemical ability to surface-initiate polymerization reactions as exemplified by N,N'-dimethyl acrylamide and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate polymerizations, illustrating linear and bottle-brush-like chains, respectively. A large variation in graft thickness was observed from the low to high chain-density side suggesting that chains were forced to stretch away from the surface interface--a consequence of entropic effects resulting from increased surface crowding. The tert-butyl bromide group of ethyl 2-bromoisobutyrate is a commonly used initiator in ATRP, so a method for covalent linkage to any substrate in a single step desirably simplifies the multistep surface activation procedures currently used.Bryan R. Coad, Katie E. Styan, and Laurence Meaghe

Electrode modification using nanocomposites of electropolymerised cobalt phthalocyanines supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes

A polymer of tetra(4)-(4,6-diaminopyrimidin-2-ylthio) phthalocyaninatocobalt(II) (CoPyPc) has been deposited over a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) platform and its electrocatalytic properties investigated side by side with polymerized cobalt tetraamino phthalocyanine (CoTAPc). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry studies were used for characterization of the prepared polymers of cobalt phthalocyanine derivatives and their nanocomposites. L-Cysteine was used as a test analyte for the electrocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites of polymerized cobalt phthalocyanines and multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The electrocatalytic activity of both polymerized cobalt phthalocyanines was found to be superior when polymerization was done on top of MWCNTs compared to bare glassy carbon electrode. A higher sensitivity for L-cysteine detection was obtained on CoTAPc compared to CoPyPc