Distinguishing Posed and Spontaneous Smiles by Facial Dynamics

Smile is one of the key elements in identifying emotions and present state of mind of an individual. In this work, we propose a cluster of approaches to classify posed and spontaneous smiles using deep convolutional neural network (CNN) face features, local phase quantization (LPQ), dense optical flow and histogram of gradient (HOG). Eulerian Video Magnification (EVM) is used for micro-expression smile amplification along with three normalization procedures for distinguishing posed and spontaneous smiles. Although the deep CNN face model is trained with large number of face images, HOG features outperforms this model for overall face smile classification task. Using EVM to amplify micro-expressions did not have a significant impact on classification accuracy, while the normalizing facial features improved classification accuracy. Unlike many manual or semi-automatic methodologies, our approach aims to automatically classify all smiles into either `spontaneous' or `posed' categories, by using support vector machines (SVM). Experimental results on large UvA-NEMO smile database show promising results as compared to other relevant methods.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, ACCV 2016, Second Workshop on Spontaneous Facial Behavior Analysi

Individual differences in search and monitoring for color targets in dynamic visual displays

Many jobs now involve the monitoring visual representations of data that change over time. Monitoring dynamically changing displays for the onset of targets can be done in two ways: detecting targets directly post their onset or predicting their onset from the prior state of distractors. In the present study, participants? eye movements were measured as they monitored arrays of 108 colored squares whose colors changed systematically over time. Across three experiments, the data show that participants detected the onset of targets both directly and predictively. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that predictive detection was only possible when supported by sequential color changes that followed a scale ordered in color space. Experiment 3 included measures of individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) and anxious affect and a manipulation of target prevalence in the search task. It found that predictive monitoring for targets, and decisions about target onsets, were influenced by interactions between individual differences in verbal and spatial WMC and intolerance of uncertainty, a characteristic that reflects worry about uncertain future events. The results have implications for the selection of individuals tasked with monitoring dynamic visual displays for target onsets

Meeting the Needs of Middle Grades Social Studies Students with Language Based Learning Disabilities: An Analysis of Students’ and Teachers’ Perspectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the consistency with which middle level social studies and special education teachers and administrators assist, educate, and guide middle level social studies students with language-based learning disabilities. The study was an inquiry into the students’, teachers’, and administrator’s literacy beliefs and practices and it examined the coherence and congruence among these beliefs and practices. Conducted as an action research study, it examined the extent of the alignment using data collected from five teachers, six students and one administrator by means of interviews, focus groups, photographs, journal entries, and inventories. The data from teachers included interviews, observations, focus groups, a literacy journal and inventories. The primary aim of the study was to evaluate the extent to which schools provide well-aligned and congruent structural and organizational systems to support a coherent approach to literacy-based learning in middle level social studies classes. The findings suggest that there is coherence and congruence between the literacy beliefs of the students, teachers and administrator. They further suggest that for the most part, there exists congruence and coherence between the participants’ practices. However, there are some incongruences about students’ and teachers’ literacy based beliefs and practices in a middle level social studies setting. These are largely misconceptions and may be the source of some disconnect between these participants. Implications for the field include the need to improve teacher and administrator opportunities for professional development and reflection as well as the need to define best practices, including metacognitive skills for students with language-based learning disabilities in a middle level social studies setting

Interpretation of ambiguous situations: evidence for a dissociation between social and physical threat in Williams syndrome

There is increasing evidence that Williams syndrome (WS) is associated with elevated anxiety that is non-social in nature, including generalised anxiety and fears. To date very little research has examined the cognitive processes associated with this anxiety. In the present research, attentional bias for non-social threatening images in WS was examined using a dot-probe paradigm. Participants were 16 individuals with WS aged between 13 and 34 years and two groups of typically developing controls matched to the WS group on chronological age and attentional control ability respectively. The WS group exhibited a significant attention bias towards threatening images. In contrast, no bias was found for group matched on attentional control and a slight bias away from threat was found in the chronological age matched group. The results are contrasted with recent findings suggesting that individuals with WS do not show an attention bias for threatening faces and discussed in relation to neuroimaging research showing elevated amygdala activation in response to threatening non-social scenes in WS

Leibniz Seminorms and Best Approximation from C*-subalgebras

We show that if B is a C*-subalgebra of a C*-algebra A such that B contains a bounded approximate identity for A, and if L is the pull-back to A of the quotient norm on A/B, then L is strongly Leibniz. In connection with this situation we study certain aspects of best approximation of elements of a unital C*-algebra by elements of a unital C*-subalgebra.Comment: 24 pages. Intended for the proceedings of the conference "Operator Algebras and Related Topics". v2: added a corollary to the main theorem, plus several minor improvements v3: much simplified proof of a key lemma, corollary to main theorem added v4: Many minor improvements. Section numbers increased by

Strategies for getting produce into corner stores

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 68-71).Availability of fresh, healthy produce for low-income people is a growing concern for advocates and public officials concerned with health disparities and diet-related disease. Healthy corner store conversions are a promising strategy to address issues of food access. To be successful, conversion programs must address the challenges of sourcing and selling produce. As a perishable product, produce requires store owner to possess significant skills and infrastructure for proper management. Additionally, corner stores face a supply chain increasingly structured for large supermarkets and must balance the often-competing factors of small scale, affordability, and quality. Finally, programs must consider how to appropriately serve and engage communities to ensure financial viability and maximize health impacts. This thesis explores strategies to improve the provision of produce through corner stores through a review of reports, literature, and practice. Central to these approaches are the goals of increased efficiency and affordability and long-term sustainability. Several corner store programs have demonstrated the possibility for making money through produce sales using a holistic approach that engages community members and provides training and assistance to store owners. Supply strategies range from cooperative purchasing, shared docking with larger stores or institutions, convincing wholesalers to accommodate smaller orders, and developing new distribution infrastructure that integrates small stores into the local food system. This work concludes with key lessons for corner store programs seeking to improve produce supply practices and infrastructure. The discussion also includes opportunities for actors in produce supply and distribution to capture this emerging market and support food access efforts.by Angela J. Hadwin.M.C.P

Impact of optical coherence tomography on diagnostic decision-making by UK community optometrists: a clinical vignette study.

PURPOSE: In recent years, there has been widespread investment in imaging technologies by community optometrists in the UK, most notably optical coherence tomography (OCT). The aim of the current study was to determine the value of OCT in the diagnosis of posterior segment diseases in a representative sample of community optometrists using a clinical vignette methodology. METHODS: A group of community optometrists (n = 50) initially completed a standardised training package on OCT interpretation followed by a computer-based assessment featuring 52 clinical vignettes, containing images of healthy (n = 8) or glaucomatous (n = 18) discs or healthy (n = 8) or diseased (n = 18) fundi. Each vignette featured either a single fundus/disc photographic image, or a combination of a fundus/disc image with the corresponding OCT scan. An expert panel confirmed that the fundus images presented alone and those in combination with OCT data were of a similar level of difficulty and that the cases were typical of those seen in primary care. For each case, the optometrist selected their diagnosis from a pull-down list and reported their confidence in their decision using a 10-point Likert scale. Pairwise comparisons of the fundus image alone and fundus image/OCT combination were made for both diagnostic performance and confidence. RESULTS: The mean percentage of correct diagnoses using fundus imaging alone was 62% (95% CI 59-64%) and for the combination of fundus image/OCT was 80% (95% CI 77-82%). The mean false negative rate with fundus alone was 27% reducing to 13% with the OCT combination. Median confidence scores for fundus imaging alone was 8.0 (IQR 7.0-8.0) and 8.3 (IQR 8.0-9.0) for the combination. Improvements in performance and confidence were statistically significant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results from this vignette study suggests that OCT improves optometrists' diagnostic performance compared to fundus observation alone. These initial results suggest that OCT provides valuable additional data that could augment case-finding for glaucoma and retinal disease; however, further research is needed to assess its diagnostic performance in a routine clinical practice setting

Interpretation and expectation in childhood anxiety disorders: age effects and social specificity

Theory and treatment for childhood anxiety disorders typically implicates children’s negative cognitions, yet little is known about the characteristics of thinking styles of clinically anxious children. In particular, it is unclear whether differences in thinking styles between children with anxiety disorders and non-anxious children vary as a function of child age, whether particular cognitive distortions are associated with childhood anxiety disorders at different child ages, and whether cognitive content is disorder-specific. The current study addressed these questions among 120 7 - 12 year old children (53% female) who met diagnostic criteria for social anxiety disorder, other anxiety disorder, or who were not currently anxious. Contrary to expectations, threat interpretation was not inflated amongst anxious compared to non-anxious children at any age, although older (10 - 12 year old) anxious children did differ from non-anxious children on measures of perceived coping. The notion of cognitive-content specificity was not supported across the age-range. The findings challenge current treatment models of childhood anxiety, and suggest that a focus on changing anxious children’s cognitions is not warranted in mid-childhood, and in late childhood cognitive approaches may be better focussed on promoting children’s perceptions of control rather than challenging threat interpretations