DeepKSPD: Learning Kernel-matrix-based SPD Representation for Fine-grained Image Recognition

Being symmetric positive-definite (SPD), covariance matrix has traditionally been used to represent a set of local descriptors in visual recognition. Recent study shows that kernel matrix can give considerably better representation by modelling the nonlinearity in the local descriptor set. Nevertheless, neither the descriptors nor the kernel matrix is deeply learned. Worse, they are considered separately, hindering the pursuit of an optimal SPD representation. This work proposes a deep network that jointly learns local descriptors, kernel-matrix-based SPD representation, and the classifier via an end-to-end training process. We derive the derivatives for the mapping from a local descriptor set to the SPD representation to carry out backpropagation. Also, we exploit the Daleckii-Krein formula in operator theory to give a concise and unified result on differentiating SPD matrix functions, including the matrix logarithm to handle the Riemannian geometry of kernel matrix. Experiments not only show the superiority of kernel-matrix-based SPD representation with deep local descriptors, but also verify the advantage of the proposed deep network in pursuing better SPD representations for fine-grained image recognition tasks

Psychological Skills Training Manual for eSports Athletes

eSports are a new category of competitive games, where groups of players compete against others in competitive video games on personal computers and gaming consoles. These games can be individually based or team oriented. This project applies theoretical and empirical research in sports psychology to develop a psychological skills training manual for eSports athletes and coaches. In particular, tenets of Achievement Goal Theory and relevant research are reviewed and discussed. This manual focuses on the select psychological skill strategies of goal setting, imagery and positive self talk with an aim to minimize potential adverse affects, cognitions, and behaviors in eSport athletes. eSports athletes have been found to report symptoms depression, anxiety, and difficulties with socialization. An athlete trained in imagery and other cognitive techniques (e.g., negative thought stoppage) can reduce performance related anxiety typically associated with fear of failure. Also, appropriately short and long term goals that are focused primarily on learning and self referenced improvement (i.e., mastery approach) have the capability of improving self confidence and continued motivation. Thus, this manual, when successfully applied, will provide athletes with a selection of skills to enhance their functioning in achievement situations, and these more positive psychological states should be associated with an improvement in performance

Evaluation of the Deadwood Bighorn Sheep Herd Translocation

From 2015-2017, we evaluated a newly established bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) herd in the Deadwood Region of the Black Hills, South Dakota. Our objectives were to 1a) determine annual survival rates, 1b) determine cause-specific mortality, 1c) estimate population size, 2a) assess genetic diversity, 2b) assess disease prevalence, 3) evaluate movement patterns post-release, 4a) evaluate 3rd-order habitat selection, and 4b) estimate herbaceous biomass at foraging sites post-release of translocated bighorn sheep. In February 2015, we captured and translocated 26 bighorn sheep from the Luscar Mine near Hinton, Alberta, Canada to the Deadwood Region of the Black Hills, South Dakota. Overall annual bighorn sheep survival rates were 64.4% (95% CI=0.48-0.77). Confirmed pneumonia accounted for 57.9% (n=11) of all cause-specific mortalities, while no predation was documented during the study. We estimated the population size at the end of the study period was 24 bighorn sheep (λ=0.92). Observed and expected heterozygosity were 0.71 (SE=0.06) and 0.64 (SE=0.05), respectively. The Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae pathogen found within the Deadwood bighorn sheep herd was of a strain type previously undocumented in the Black Hills. Dispersal among individual bighorn sheep occurred year 1, while establishment of home-ranges occurred year 2. We used 95% Brownian Bridge Movement Models for year 2, which resulted in a mean homerange size of 5.29 km2. Forested habitat was actively avoided (ŵ=0.30), while barren (ŵ=16.93), shrubland (ŵ=1.28), and grassland (ŵ=1.65) habitats were selected. Foraging sites were typically located in areas with little overstory tree canopy cover (mean= 8.41%, SE=1.85), short distance to escape terrain (mean= 24.00 m, SE=3.21), and little woody debris (mean= 0.25 kg/ha, SE=0.07). Herbaceous biomass ranged from 302.07 kg/ha to 2,487.43 kg/ha. Our results indicate that the Deadwood Region of the Black Hills, South Dakota had sufficient forage and habitat capabilities to support a healthy population of bighorn sheep. Translocations to this region can be successful, however, pneumonia, caused by the Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae pathogen, was the greatest limiting factor to population growth within the Deadwood bighorn sheep herd

Art as a Tool in the Built Environment

Man’s interaction with the environment dates back to creation. The interaction of man with its environment has been crucial to the continuous existence of man in relation to solving the fundamental or basic needs of food, shelter and clothing. This has been woven into a web of different cultural environment. This type of cultural environment includes palaces, shrines, markets, malevolent forest and places of social interaction. Man retreated into the protective warmth of cave while the environment threatened his survival (wild animals and weather condition). It was at this period that attempt was made at artistic creation. From this natural habitat developed the more comfortable houses that have been built up till today. Basically, traditional African society operates in environments that advance healthy living, moral values and steady communal growth. They built many houses that are architectural master pieces and decorated them aesthetically without architects and professional designers. The cities and villages were set up according to the dictates of the environment within which they lived without town planners, yet, some of them can be likened to streets in Amsterdam (Denyer 1978). The absence of the architects and town planners were adequately catered for by artists (carvers, moulders, painters and other craftsmen). Today, many of our towns and cities are reflections of great wealth without commensurate aesthetic value, while some others portray signs of poverty of ideas and skilled men because art has been neglected. The thrust of this paper is to access the invaluable role that art plays in nationbuilding through the built environment that we can call our own. It also emphasized the significance of the role of professional artists in the support of a reliable and conducive environment, which was very prominent among the traditional people

On generalized processor sharing and objective functions: analytical framework

Today, telecommunication networks host a wide range of heterogeneous services. Some demand strict delay minima, while others only need a best-effort kind of service. To achieve service differentiation, network traffic is partitioned in several classes which is then transmitted according to a flexible and fair scheduling mechanism. Telecommunication networks can, for instance, use an implementation of Generalized Processor Sharing (GPS) in its internal nodes to supply an adequate Quality of Service to each class. GPS is flexible and fair, but also notoriously hard to study analytically. As a result, one has to resort to simulation or approximation techniques to optimize GPS for some given objective function. In this paper, we set up an analytical framework for two-class discrete-time probabilistic GPS which allows to optimize the scheduling for a generic objective function in terms of the mean unfinished work of both classes without the need for exact results or estimations/approximations for these performance characteristics. This framework is based on results of strict priority scheduling, which can be regarded as a special case of GPS, and some specific unfinished-work properties in two-class GPS. We also apply our framework on a popular type of objective functions, i.e., convex combinations of functions of the mean unfinished work. Lastly, we incorporate the framework in an algorithm to yield a faster and less computation-intensive result for the optimum of an objective function

The Beneficial Impact of Sorting Heavy Cattle at Re-Implant

This research examined a simple sorting strategy to reduce the prevalence of heavyweight carcass discounts. Cattle that were identified and sorted off at re-implant had a reduced prevalence of heavyweight carcasses versus unsorted cattle. Re-implant sorting was profitable at pen average in-weights of 800 pounds or less.cattle, fed cattle marketing, cattle sorting, formula marketing, Farm Management, Livestock Production/Industries, Marketing, Q11, Q16, M31,

Adhesive and degradative properties of human placental cytotrophoblast cells in vitro.

Human fetal development depends on the embryo rapidly gaining access to the maternal circulation. The trophoblast cells that form the fetal portion of the human placenta have solved this problem by transiently exhibiting certain tumor-like properties. Thus, during early pregnancy fetal cytotrophoblast cells invade the uterus and its arterial network. This process peaks during the twelfth week of pregnancy and declines rapidly thereafter, suggesting that the highly specialized, invasive behavior of the cytotrophoblast cells is closely regulated. Since little is known about the actual mechanisms involved, we developed an isolation procedure for cytotrophoblasts from placentas of different gestational ages to study their adhesive and invasive properties in vitro. Cytotrophoblasts isolated from first, second, and third trimester human placentas were plated on the basement membrane-like extracellular matrix produced by the PF HR9 teratocarcinoma cell line. Cells from all trimesters expressed the calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecule cell-CAM 120/80 (E-cadherin) which, in the placenta, is specific for cytotrophoblasts. However, only the first trimester cytotrophoblast cells degraded the matrices on which they were cultured, leaving large gaps in the basement membrane substrates and releasing low molecular mass 3H-labeled matrix components into the medium. No similar degradative activity was observed when second or third trimester cytotrophoblast cells, first trimester human placental fibroblasts, or the human choriocarcinoma cell lines BeWo and JAR were cultured on radiolabeled matrices. To begin to understand the biochemical basis of this degradative behavior, the substrate gel technique was used to analyze the cell-associated and secreted proteinase activities expressed by early, mid, and late gestation cytotrophoblasts. Several gelatin-degrading proteinases were uniquely expressed by early gestation, invasive cytotrophoblasts, and all these activities could be abolished by inhibitors of metalloproteinases. By early second trimester, the time when cytotrophoblast invasion rapidly diminishes in vivo, the proteinase pattern of the cytotrophoblasts was identical to that of term, noninvasive cells. These results are the first evidence suggesting that specialized, temporally regulated metalloproteinases are involved in trophoblast invasion of the uterus. Since the cytotrophoblasts from first trimester and later gestation placentas maintain for several days the temporally regulated degradative behavior displayed in vivo, the short-term cytotrophoblast outgrowth culture system described here should be useful in studying some of the early events in human place