140 research outputs found
Information-Theoretic Active Learning for Content-Based Image Retrieval
We propose Information-Theoretic Active Learning (ITAL), a novel batch-mode
active learning method for binary classification, and apply it for acquiring
meaningful user feedback in the context of content-based image retrieval.
Instead of combining different heuristics such as uncertainty, diversity, or
density, our method is based on maximizing the mutual information between the
predicted relevance of the images and the expected user feedback regarding the
selected batch. We propose suitable approximations to this computationally
demanding problem and also integrate an explicit model of user behavior that
accounts for possible incorrect labels and unnameable instances. Furthermore,
our approach does not only take the structure of the data but also the expected
model output change caused by the user feedback into account. In contrast to
other methods, ITAL turns out to be highly flexible and provides
state-of-the-art performance across various datasets, such as MIRFLICKR and
ImageNet.Comment: GCPR 2018 paper (14 pages text + 2 pages references + 6 pages
appendix
Nested species interactions promote feasibility over stability during the assembly of a pollinator community
The foundational concepts behind the persistence of ecological communities have been based on two ecological properties: dynamical stability and feasibility. The former is typically regarded as the capacity of a community to return to an original equilibrium state after a perturbation in species abundances and is usually linked to the strength of interspecific interactions. The latter is the capacity to sustain positive abundances on all its constituent species and is linked to both interspecific interactions and species demographic characteristics. Over the last 40 years, theoretical research in ecology has emphasized the search for conditions leading to the dynamical stability of ecological communities, while the conditions leading to feasibility have been overlooked. However, thus far, we have no evidence of whether species interactions are more conditioned by the community's need to be stable or feasible. Here, we introduce novel quantitative methods and use empirical data to investigate the consequences of species interactions on the dynamical stability and feasibility of mutualistic communities. First, we demonstrate that the more nested the species interactions in a community are, the lower the mutualistic strength that the community can tolerate without losing dynamical stability. Second, we show that high feasibility in a community can be reached either with high mutualistic strength or with highly nested species interactions. Third, we find that during the assembly process of a seasonal pollinator community located at The Zackenberg Research Station (northeastern Greenland), a high feasibility is reached through the nested species interactions established between newcomer and resident species. Our findings imply that nested mutualistic communities promote feasibility over stability, which may suggest that the former can be key for community persistence
Latest Developments from the S-DALINAC*
The S-DALINAC is a 130 MeV superconducting recirculating electron accelerator serving several nuclear and radiation physics experiments as well as driving an infrared free-electron laser. A system of normal conducting rf resonators for noninvasive beam position and current measurement was established. For the measurement of gamma-radiation inside the accelerator cave a system of Compton diodes has been developed and tested. Detailed investigations of the transverse phasespace were carried out with a tomographical reconstruction method of optical transition radiation spots. The method can be applied also to non-Gaussian phasespace distributions. The results are in good accordance with simulations. To improve the quality factor of the superconducting 3 GHz cavities, an external 2K testcryostat was commissioned. The influence of electro-chemical polishing and magnetic shielding is currently under investigation. A digital rf-feedback-system for the accelerator cavities is being developed in order to improve the energy spread of the beam of the S-DALINAC. * Supported by the BMBF under contract no. 06 DA 820, the DFG under contract no. Ri 242/12-1 and -2 and the DFG Graduiertenkolleg 'Physik und Technik von Beschleunigern
Chiral Symmetry and the Nucleon's Vector Strangeness Form Factors
The nucleon's strange-quark vector current form factors are studied from the
perspective of chiral symmetry. It is argued that chiral perturbation theory
cannot yield a prediction for the strangeness radius and magnetic moment.
Arrival at definite predictions requires the introduction of additional,
model-dependent assumptions which go beyond the framework of chiral
perturbation theory. A variety of such model predictions is surveyed, and the
credibility of each is evaluated. The most plausible prediction appears in a
model where the unknown chiral counterterms are identified with -channel
vector meson exchange amplitudes. The corresponding prediction for the mean
square Dirac strangeness radius is fm, which
would be observable in up-coming semileptonic determinations of the nucleon's
strangeness form factors.Comment: LaTex 31 pages, four figures available from authors
Effective Lagrangian Approach to the Theory of Eta Photoproduction in the Region
We investigate eta photoproduction in the resonance region
within the effective Lagrangian approach (ELA), wherein leading contributions
to the amplitude at the tree level are taken into account. These include the
nucleon Born terms and the leading -channel vector meson exchanges as the
non-resonant pieces. In addition, we consider five resonance contributions in
the - and - channel; besides the dominant , these are:
and . The amplitudes for the
and the photoproduction near threshold have significant
differences, even as they share common contributions, such as those of the
nucleon Born terms. Among these differences, the contribution to the
photoproduction of the -channel excitation of the is the most
significant. We find the off-shell properties of the spin-3/2 resonances to be
important in determining the background contributions. Fitting our effective
amplitude to the available data base allows us to extract the quantity
, characteristic of the
photoexcitation of the resonance and its decay into the
-nucleon channel, of interest to precise tests of hadron models. At the
photon point, we determine it to be from
the old data base, and from a
combination of old data base and new Bates data. We obtain the helicity
amplitude for to be from the old data base, and from the combination of the old data base and new Bates
data, compared with the results of the analysis of pion photoproduction
yielding , in the same units.Comment: 43 pages, RevTeX, 9 figures available upon request, to appear in
Phys. Rev.
Error determination in the photogrammetric assessment of shoreline changes
The evaluation of error or uncertainty in shoreline change studies is an issue of
prime importance for providing an adequate framework for calculated rates of change and to allow the establishment of threshold values above which the rates would be significant. In this note, a practical, easy-to-use method is presented to estimate error involved in the calculation of shoreline changes on aerial photographs, including the three most used types of shoreline indicators: high water line, dune/cliff toe and cliff top. This approach takes into account the specific characteristics of each shoreline proxy, such as relief in the case of
the cliff top or tidal oscillations in the case of the high water line. At the same time it includes the error components that are independent from the proxy, basically related to the technical aspects of the process such as photo scanning and georeferencing. A practical example of application of the method is provided for several types of data inputs, based on shoreline changes around the Bay of CĂĄdiz (SW Spain)
Domain formation in DODABâcholesterol mixed systems monitored via nile red anisotropy
The effect of the cholesterol (Ch) on liposomes composed of the cationic lipid dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DODAB) was assessed by studying both the steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy of the dye Nile Red. The information obtained combined with analysis of the steady-state emission and luorescence lifetime of Nile Red (NR) for different cholesterol concentrations (5â50%) elucidated the presence of âcondensed complexesâ and cholesterol-rich domains in these mixed systems. The steady-state fluorescence spectra were decomposed into the sum of two lognormal emissions, emanating from two different states, and the effect of temperature on the anisotropy decay of Nile Red for different cholesterol concentrations was observed. At room temperature, the time-resolved anisotropy decays are indicative of NR being relatively immobile (manifest by a high râ value). At higher temperature, rotational times ca. 1 ns were obtained throughout and a trend in increasing hindrance was seen with increase of Ch content
Proton-Antiproton Annihilation and Meson Spectroscopy with the Crystal Barrel
This report reviews the achievements of the Crystal Barrel experiment at the
Low Energy Antiproton Ring (LEAR) at CERN. During seven years of operation
Crystal Barrel has collected very large statistical samples in pbarp
annihilation, especially at rest and with emphasis on final states with high
neutral multiplicity. The measured rates for annihilation into various two-body
channels and for electromagnetic processes have been used to test simple models
for the annihilation mechanism based on the quark internal structure of
hadrons. From three-body annihilations three scalar mesons, a0(1450), f0(1370)
and f0(1500) have been established in various decay modes. One of them,
f0(1500), may be identified with the expected ground state scalar glueball.Comment: 64 pages, LATEX file, 36 figures are available as ps files at
http://afuz01.cern.ch/claude/ Submitted to Reviews of Modern Physic
Prevalence, incidence and concomitant co-morbidities of type 2 diabetes mellitus in South Western Germany - a retrospective cohort and case control study in claims data of a large statutory health insurance
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