Canonical Correlation Inference for Mapping Abstract Scenes to Text

We describe a technique for structured prediction, based on canonical correlation analysis. Our learning algorithm finds two projections for the input and the output spaces that aim at projecting a given input and its correct output into points close to each other. We demonstrate our technique on a language-vision problem, namely the problem of giving a textual description to an "abstract scene".Comment: 10 pages, accepted to AAAI 201

Quantifying the Burden and Trends of Isoniazid Resistant Tuberculosis, 1994–2009

Quantifying isoniazid resistant (INH-R) tuberculosis (TB) is important because isoniazid resistance reduces the probability of treatment success, may facilitate the spread of multidrug resistance, and may reduce the effectiveness of isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT).We used data reported to the World Health Organization between 1994-2009 to estimate the INH-R burden among new and retreatment TB cases. We assessed geographical and temporal variation in INH-R and reported levels in high HIV prevalence countries (≥2%) to understand implications for IPT. 131 settings reported INH-R data since 1994. A single global estimate of the percentage of incident TB cases with INH-R was deemed inappropriate due to particularly high levels in the Eastern European region where 44.9% (95% CI: 34.0%, 55.8%) of incident TB cases had INH-R. In all other regions combined, 13.9% (95% CI: 12.6%, 15.2%) of incident cases had INH-R with the lowest regional levels seen in West/Central Europe and Africa. Where trend data existed, we found examples of rising and falling burdens of INH-R. 40% of high HIV prevalence countries reported national data on INH-R and 7.3% (95% CI: 5.5%, 9.1%) of cases in these settings had INH-R.Outside the Eastern European region, one in seven incident TB cases has INH-R, while this rises to nearly half within Eastern Europe. Many countries cannot assess trends in INH-R and the scarcity of data from high HIV prevalence areas limits insight into the implications for IPT. Further research is required to understand reasons for the observed time trends and to determine the effects of INH-R for control of TB

Somaesthesia, autonomic dysfunction and the perception of pain in complex regional pain syndrome and chronic rheumatic disease

The perception of pain is a complex process involving central integration of nociceptive sensory signals with autonomic, emotional, motor and behavioural cortical networks. The principal aim of this thesis was to explore how this process contributes to the presenting clinical phenotype in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), and whether this extends to other chronic pain conditions in rheumatic disease such as osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthrits (RA). The first study established baseline quantitative sensory testing parameters and autonomic function. It found that allodynia was absent in controls, present in some OA and RA patients and most marked in CRPS patients. Autonomic function was normal in controls, with some impairment in OA and RA and most dysfunction in CRPS. The second study used an optokinetic visuo-motor challenge induced by a mirror-whiteboard device. The presence or absence of sensory disturbances and/or new/worsening pain was used to generate a vulnerability scale. Controls were the least vulnerable followed by RA, then OA with CRPS the most vulnerable. Autonomic responses, sensory disturbances and new/worsening pain to a pure visual conflict in the form of ambiguous visual stimuli (AVS) were used for the third study. Sensory disturbances, pain enhancement and abnormal asymmetric autonomic responses occurred only in the CRPS cohort. The final study investigated parietal lobe function in CRPS patients. It showed clinical evidence of parietal lobe dysfunction present in a substantial number of CRPS patients, and that this was reflected both in symptoms and impact upon activities of daily living. Overall, the thesis findings support the concept that perterbation of central somaesthetic integration may induce cortical network dysfunction, reflected in different patterns of autonomic and pain responses. This might contribute to the differing clinical presentations seen in CRPS. Similar processes may also occur in OA and RA. This work provides an approach to the clinical phenotyping of CRPS and other chronic painful rheumatic diseases. Appreciation of the potential mechanisms described may allow better targeting of therapy.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Establishing Education Program Inadequacy: The Alabama Example

The authors draw on their experience as attorneys for a statewide class of plaintiff school children in the liability phase of ongoing public education reform litigation in Alabama to demonstrate the availability of state and nationally recognized standards concerning educational resources (inputs) and results (outputs) that can serve as evidentiary tools for assessing and for establishing a state public education system\u27s failure to satisfy constitutional mandates of educational adequacy. The Article discusses the usefulness and limitations of using such standards as a starting point in a court\u27s constitutional analysis. It suggests an integrated approach that links input and output standards from both state and national sources to provide inter-related evidence of inadequacy while maintaining allegiance to constitutional adequacy guarantees as the ultimate standard against which all other standards, including state statutes and regulations, must be judged

Influence of prenatal maternal stress, maternal plasma cortisol and cortisol in the amniotic fluid on birth outcomes and child temperament at 3 months

This prospective, longitudinal study aimed to investigate relationships between indicators of maternal prenatal stress, infant birth outcomes and early temperament. We examined the pattern of associations and postulated pathways between physiological (cortisol plasma concentrations) and self-report indices (stress, anxiety) of maternal prenatal stress, cortisol in the amniotic fluid, birth outcomes and infant temperament at 3 months. The sample consisted of 158 women undergoing amniocentesis in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. Questionnaire measures of maternal stress and anxiety were found to be unrelated to cortisol in plasma or amniotic fluid. Maternal cortisol was related to amniotic cortisol, which in turn was associated with lower birth weight. Birth weight predicted infant fear and distress to limitation at 3 months old. We found trend-like indirect effects of amniotic fluid on infant distress to limitation and fear via birth weight. This is one of the few studies to simultaneously assess the role of maternal and amniotic fluid cortisol on birth outcomes and infant emotional development. The results suggest that foetal cortisol may be an important predictor of infant outcomes and shed light on the mechanisms through which prenatal maternal stress affects infant psychological health

Functional Coordination of a Full-Body Gaze Control Mechanisms Elicited During Locomotion

Control of locomotion requires precise interaction between several sensorimotor subsystems. Exposure to the microgravity environment of spaceflight leads to postflight adaptive alterations in these multiple subsystems leading to postural and gait disturbances. Countermeasures designed to mitigate these postflight gait alterations will need to be assessed with a new generation of functional tests that evaluate the interaction of various elements central to locomotor control. The goal of this study is to determine how the multiple, interdependent, full- body sensorimotor subsystems aiding gaze stabilization during locomotion are functionally coordinated. To explore this question two experiments were performed. In the first study (Study 1) we investigated how alteration in gaze tasking changes full-body locomotor control strategies. Subjects (n=9) performed two discreet gaze stabilization tasks while walking at 6.4 km/hr on a motorized treadmill: 1) focusing on a central point target; 2) reading numeral characters; both presented at 2m in front at eye level. The second study (Study 2) investigated the potential of adaptive remodeling of the full-body gaze control systems following exposure to visual-vestibular conflict. Subjects (n=14) walked (6.4 km/h) on the treadmill before and after they were exposed to 0.5X minifying lenses worn for 30 minutes during self-generated sinusoidal vertical head rotations performed while seated. In both studies we measured: temporal parameters of gait, full body sagittal plane segmental kinematics of the head, trunk, thigh, shank and foot, accelerations along the vertical axis at the head and the shank, and the vertical forces acting on the support surface. Results from Study 1 showed that while reading numeral characters as compared to the central point target: 1) compensatory head pitch movements were on average 22% greater 2) the peak acceleration measured at the head was significantly reduced by an average of 13% in four of the six subjects 3) the knee joint total movement was on average 11% greater during the period from the heel strike event to the peak knee flexion event in stance phase of the gait cycle. Results from Study 2 indicate that following exposure to visual-vestibular conflict changes in full-body strategies were observed consistent with the requirement to aid gaze stabilization during locomotion