Expectations, credibility, and disinflation in a small macroeconomic model

A study of the effects of expectations and central bank credibility on the economy's dynamic transition path during a disinflation. Using a version of the Fuhrer-Moore model, it compares simulations under different specifications that vary according to the way expectations are formed and the degree of central bank credibility.Monetary policy ; Inflation (Finance) ; Business cycles

The effects of scarring on face recognition

The focus of this research is the effects of scarring on face recognition. Face recognition is a common biometric modality implemented for access control operations such as customs and borders. The recent report from the Special Group on Issues Affecting Facial Recognition and Best Practices for their Mitigation highlighted scarring as one of the emerging challenges. The significance of this problem extends to the ISO/IEC and national agencies are researching to enhance their intelligence capabilities. Data was collected on face images with and without scars, using theatrical special effects to simulate scarring on the face and also from subjects that have developed scarring within their lifetime. A total of 60 subjects participated in this data collection, 30 without scarring of any kind and 30 with preexisting scars. Controlled data on scarring is problematic for face recognition research as scarring has various manifestations among individuals, yet is universal in that all individuals will manifest some degree of scarring. Effect analysis was done with controlled scarring to observe the factor alone, and wild scarring that is encountered during operations for realistic contextualization. Two environments were included in this study, a controlled studio that represented an ideal face capture setting and a mock border control booth simulating an operational use case

North D Compost Pilot Semester Report

Following the completion of a 14-week-long residential compost pilot program in North Apartment D at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, this review summarizes the proposition, implementation, and operation of the project. The success of this pilot provides the framework for the expansion of residential composting at UMass Amherst, resulting in higher trash diversion rates from residence halls, and encouraging students to reduce their environmental footprint both on and off campus. The demonstrated success for this pilot program and upcoming expanded pilot provides further justification for expansion across residential life, other University departments, or other institutions to participate in waste-reduction initiatives. The program also highlights the continued commitment by students, faculty, and staff to create a more sustainable UMass

Association between repeat hospitalization and early intervention in dialysis patients following hospital discharge

Dialysis patients have a greater number of hospitalization events compared to patients without renal failure. Here we studied the relationship between different post-discharge interventions and repeat hospitalization in over 126,000 prevalent hemodialysis patients to explore outpatient strategies that minimize the risk of repeat hospitalization. The primary outcome was repeat hospitalization within 30 days of discharge. Compared to pre-hospitalization values, the levels of hemoglobin, albumin, phosphorus, calcium, and parathyroid hormone and weight were significantly decreased after hospitalization. Using covariate-adjusted models, those patients whose hemoglobin was monitored within the first 7 days after discharge, followed by modification of their erythropoietin dose had a significantly reduced risk for repeat-hospitalization when compared to the patients whose hemoglobin was not checked, nor was the dose of erythropoietin changed. Similarly, administration of vitamin D within the 7 days following discharge was significantly associated with reduced repeat hospitalization when compared to patients on no vitamin D. Therefore, it appears that immediate re-evaluation of anemia management orders and resumption of vitamin D soon after discharge may be an effective way to reduce repeat hospitalization

Temperature mapping and thermal lensing in large-mode, high-power laser diodes

The authors use high-resolution charge-coupled device based thermoreflectance to derive two dimensional facet temperature maps of a λ = 1.55 μmλ=1.55μm InGaAsP/InPInGaAsP∕InP watt-class laser that has a large (>5×5 μm2)(>5×5μm2) fundamental optical mode. Recognizing that temperature rise in the laser will lead to refractive index increase, they use the measured temperature profiles as an input to a finite-element mode solver, predicting bias-dependent spatial mode behavior that agrees well with experimental observations. These results demonstrate the general usefulness of high-resolution thermal imaging for studying spatial mode dynamics in photonic devices.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87806/2/201110_1.pd

Modifications of the BTZ black hole by a dilaton/scalar

We investigate some modifications of the static BTZ black hole solution due to a chosen asymptotically constant dilaton/scalar. New classes of static black hole solutions are obtained. One of the solutions contains the Martinez-Zanelli conformal black hole solution as a special case. Using quasilocal formalism, we calculate their mass for a finite spatial region that contains the black hole. Their temperatures are also computed. Finally, using some of the curvature singularities as examples, we investigate whether a quantum particle behaves singularly or not.Comment: 18 pages, Latex, in press in Phys. Rev.

BRAHMS: Novel middleware for integrated systems computation

Biological computational modellers are becoming increasingly interested in building large, eclectic models, including components on many different computational substrates, both biological and non-biological. At the same time, the rise of the philosophy of embodied modelling is generating a need to deploy biological models as controllers for robots in real-world environments. Finally, robotics engineers are beginning to find value in seconding biomimetic control strategies for use on practical robots. Together with the ubiquitous desire to make good on past software development effort, these trends are throwing up new challenges of intellectual and technological integration (for example across scales, across disciplines, and even across time) - challenges that are unmet by existing software frameworks. Here, we outline these challenges in detail, and go on to describe a newly developed software framework, BRAHMS. that meets them. BRAHMS is a tool for integrating computational process modules into a viable, computable system: its generality and flexibility facilitate integration across barriers, such as those described above, in a coherent and effective way. We go on to describe several cases where BRAHMS has been successfully deployed in practical situations. We also show excellent performance in comparison with a monolithic development approach. Additional benefits of developing in the framework include source code self-documentation, automatic coarse-grained parallelisation, cross-language integration, data logging, performance monitoring, and will include dynamic load-balancing and 'pause and continue' execution. BRAHMS is built on the nascent, and similarly general purpose, model markup language, SystemML. This will, in future, also facilitate repeatability and accountability (same answers ten years from now), transparent automatic software distribution, and interfacing with other SystemML tools. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved