Privacy Protection Performance of De-identified Face Images with and without Background

Li Meng, 'Privacy Protection Performance of De-identified Face Images with and without Background', paper presented at the 39th International Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Convention. Grand Hotel Adriatic Congress Centre and Admiral Hotel, Opatija, Croatia, May 30 - June 3, 2016.This paper presents an approach to blending a de-identified face region with its original background, for the purpose of completing the process of face de-identification. The re-identification risk of the de-identified FERET face images has been evaluated for the k-Diff-furthest face de-identification method, using several face recognition benchmark methods including PCA, LBP, HOG and LPQ. The experimental results show that the k-Diff-furthest face de-identification delivers high privacy protection within the face region while blending the de-identified face region with its original background may significantly increases the re-identification risk, indicating that de-identification must also be applied to image areas beyond the face region

Thermodynamics of phase transition in higher dimensional Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m-de Sitter black hole

It is well known that there are black hole and the cosmological horizons for the Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m-de Sitter spacetime. Although the thermodynamic quantities on the horizons are not irrelevant, they satisfy the laws of black hole thermodynamics respectively. In this paper by considering the relations between the two horizons we give the effective thermodynamic quantities in $(n+2)$-dimensional Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m-de Sitter spacetime. The thermodynamic properties of these effective quantities are analyzed, moreover, the critical temperature, critical pressure and critical volume are obtained. We carry out an analytical check of Ehrenfest equations and prove that both Ehrenfest equations are satisfied. So the spacetime undergoes a second order phase transition at the critical point. This result is consistent with the nature of liquid--gas phase transition at the critical point, hence deepening the understanding of the analogy of charged dS spacetime and liquid--gas systems.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl

Phase transition of the higher dimensional charged Gauss-Bonnet black hole in de Sitter spacetime

We study the phase transition of charged Gauss-Bonnet-de Sitter (GB-dS) black hole. For black holes in de Sitter spacetime, there is not only black hole horizon, but also the cosmological horizon. The thermodynamic quantities on the both horizons satisfy the first law of the black hole thermodynamics, respectively; moreover, there are additional connections between them. Using the effective temperature approach, we obtained the effective thermodynamic quantities of charged GB-dS black hole. According to Ehrenfest classification, we calculate some response functions and plot their figures, from which one can see that the spacetime undergoes a second-order phase transition at the critical point. It is shown that the critical values of effective temperature and pressure decrease with the increase of the value of GB parameter $\alpha$.Comment: 9 pages, 16 figure

A Study on the Effect of Metaphor Awareness Raising on Chinese EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Acquisition and Retention

The research investigates the vocabulary acquisition and retention effect of raising learners’ metaphor awareness on EFL learners (non-English majors) of intermediate-low English proficiency level. The subjects are first-year non-English college students in a vocational college. The pre-test, immediate post-test and delayed post-test experiment lasted for a whole semester and the data collected at the tests were processed with SPSS Windows 13.0. The result shows that in EFL class, organizing metaphorical expressions along their metaphorical theme is more effective in enhancing EFL learners’ vocabulary retention. Accordingly, efforts to raise learners’ metaphor awareness should be made in classroom-based EFL teaching and the considerations should be given in teaching treatment to achieve a better effect in EFL vocabulary teaching and learning.Keywords: metaphorical theme/source; domain metaphor awareness; Vocabulary acquisition; vocabulary retention   Résumé:  La recherche étudie l'effet  de la sensibilisation à la métaphore sur l'acquisition et la mémorisation de vocabulaire chez les étudiants chinois EFL (spécialité non-anglais) qui ont un niveau d'anglais intermédiaire-faible. Les sujets d'études sont des étudiants en première année dans une école professionnelle non-anglaise. Le pré-test, le post-test immédiat et le post-test différé ont duré un semestre entier et les données recueillies lors des tests ont été traitées avec SPSS Windows 13.0. Le résultat montre que dans la classe EFL, l'organisation des expressions métaphoriques le long de leur thème métaphorique est plus efficace dans l'amélioration de la mémorisation de vocabulaire chez les apprenants EFL. En conséquence, les efforts visant à sensibiliser la conscience des apprenants sur la métaphore doivent être réalisés dans l'enseignement EFL basé sur des cours en salle de classe et les considérations devraient être y accordées pour atteindre un meilleur effet dans l'enseignement et dans l'apprentissage de vocabulaire anglais .Mots-Clés:  Thème métaphorique ; sensibilisation à la métaphore ; domaine source; acquisition de vocabulaire; mémorisation de vocabulair

Simulation of Wind Power Integration with Modular Multilevel Converter-Based High Voltage Direct Current

The growing demand for large-capacity long distance transmission of wind power has boosted the development of flexible direct current (DC) transmission technology. To facilitate wind power integration, this paper designs a modular multilevel converter (MMC) for steady-state operation, using the parameters of the demonstration DC transmission project of offshore wind power in Sheyang County, eastern China\u27s Jiangsu Province. Relying on the simulation platform of PSCAD/EMTDC, the authors analyzed the proposed control theory, and verified that, under different working conditions (e.g., changing wind speed), the MMC-based high voltage direct current (MMC-HVDC) transmission system can integrate the wind power safely and efficiently. In addition, the authors discussed how to enhance the fault ride-through (FRT), a prominent problem in wind power operation, of the flexible DC system containing wind power, from the perspective of alternating current (AC) fault and DC fault

Gene Expression Profiling of Corpus luteum Reveals Important Insights about Early Pregnancy in Domestic Sheep

The majority of pregnancy loss in ruminants occurs during the preimplantation stage, which is thus the most critical period determining reproductive success. Here, we performed a comparative transcriptome study by sequencing total mRNA from corpus luteum (CL) collected during the preimplantation stage of pregnancy in Finnsheep, Texel and F1 crosses. A total of 21,287 genes were expressed in our data. Highly expressed autosomal genes in the CL were associated with biological processes such as progesterone formation (STAR, CYP11A1, and HSD3B1) and embryo implantation (e.g., TIMP1, TIMP2 and TCTP). Among the list of differentially expressed genes, sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin (Ig)-like lectins (SIGLEC3, SIGLEC14, SIGLEC8), ribosomal proteins (RPL17, RPL34, RPS3A, MRPS33) and chemokines (CCL5, CCL24, CXCL13, CXCL9) were upregulated in Finnsheep, while four multidrug resistance-associated proteins (MRPs) were upregulated in Texel ewes. A total of 17 known genes and two uncharacterized noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) were differentially expressed in breed-wise comparisons owing to the flushing diet effect. The significantly upregulated TXNL1 gene indicated potential for embryonic diapause in Finnsheep and F1. Moreover, we report, for the first time in any species, several genes that are active in the CL during early pregnancy (including TXNL1, SIGLEC14, SIGLEC8, MRP4, and CA5A).202

High cycle fatigue and ratcheting interaction of laser powder bed fusion stainless steel 316L:Fracture behaviour and stress-based modelling

Variations in the physical and mechanical properties of parts made by laser power bed fusion (L-PBF) could be affected by the choice of processing or post-processing strategies. This work examined the influence of build orientation and post-processing treatments (annealing or hot isostatic pressing) on the fatigue and fracture behaviours of L-PBF stainless steel 316L in the high cycle fatigue region, i.e. 104 – 106 cycles. Experimental results show that both factors introduce significant changes in the plastic deformation properties, which affect fatigue strength via the mechanism of fatigue-ratcheting interaction. Cyclic plasticity is characterised by hardening, which promotes mean stress insensitivity and improved fatigue resistance. Fatigue activities, involving the initiation of crack at defects and microstructural heterogeneities, are of greater relevance to the longer life region where the global deformation mode is elastic. As the simultaneous actions of ratcheting and fatigue generate complex nonlinear interactions between the alternating stress amplitude and mean stress, the fatigue properties could not be effectively predicted using traditional stress-based models. A modification to the Goodman relation was proposed to account for the added effects of cyclic plasticity and was demonstrated to produce good agreement with experimental results for both cyclic hardening and softening materials.EDB (Economic Devt. Board, S’pore)Accepted versio

A first-generation microsatellite-based genetic linkage map of the Siberian jay (Perisoreus infaustus): insights into avian genome evolution

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Genomic resources for the majority of free-living vertebrates of ecological and evolutionary importance are scarce. Therefore, linkage maps with high-density genome coverage are needed for progress in genomics of wild species. The Siberian jay (<it>Perisoreus infaustus; Corvidae</it>) is a passerine bird which has been subject to lots of research in the areas of ecology and evolutionary biology. Knowledge of its genome structure and organization is required to advance our understanding of the genetic basis of ecologically important traits in this species, as well as to provide insights into avian genome evolution.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We describe the first genetic linkage map of Siberian jay constructed using 117 microsatellites and a mapping pedigree of 349 animals representing five families from a natural population breeding in western Finland from the years 1975 to 2006. Markers were resolved into nine autosomal and a Z-chromosome-specific linkage group, 10 markers remaining unlinked. The best-position map with the most likely positions of all significantly linked loci had a total sex-average size of 862.8 cM, with an average interval distance of 9.69 cM. The female map covered 988.4 cM, whereas the male map covered only 774 cM. The Z-chromosome linkage group comprised six markers, three pseudoautosomal and three sex-specific loci, and spanned 10.6 cM in females and 48.9 cM in males. Eighty-one of the mapped loci could be ordered on a framework map with odds of >1000:1 covering a total size of 809.6 cM in females and 694.2 cM in males. Significant sex specific distortions towards reduced male recombination rates were revealed in the entire best-position map as well as within two autosomal linkage groups. Comparative mapping between Siberian jay and chicken anchored 22 homologous loci on 6 different linkage groups corresponding to chicken chromosomes Gga1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and Z. Quite a few cases of intra-chromosomal rearrangements within the autosomes and three cases of inter-chromosomal rearrangement between the Siberian jay autosomal linkage groups (LG1, LG2 and LG3) and the chicken sex chromosome GgaZ were observed, suggesting a conserved synteny, but changes in marker order, within autosomes during about 100 million years of avian evolution.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The constructed linkage map represents a valuable resource for intraspecific genomics of Siberian jay, as well as for avian comparative genomic studies. Apart from providing novel insights into sex-specific recombination rates and patterns, the described maps – from a previously genomically uncharacterized superfamily (Corvidae) of passerine birds – provide new insights into avian genome evolution. In combination with high-resolution data on quantitative trait variability from the study population, they also provide a foundation for QTL-mapping studies.</p