Human behavioural analysis with self-organizing map for ambient assisted living

This paper presents a system for automatically classifying the resting location of a moving object in an indoor environment. The system uses an unsupervised neural network (Self Organising Feature Map) fully implemented on a low-cost, low-power automated home-based surveillance system, capable of monitoring activity level of elders living alone independently. The proposed system runs on an embedded platform with a specialised ceiling-mounted video sensor for intelligent activity monitoring. The system has the ability to learn resting locations, to measure overall activity levels and to detect specific events such as potential falls. First order motion information, including first order moving average smoothing, is generated from the 2D image coordinates (trajectories). A novel edge-based object detection algorithm capable of running at a reasonable speed on the embedded platform has been developed. The classification is dynamic and achieved in real-time. The dynamic classifier is achieved using a SOFM and a probabilistic model. Experimental results show less than 20% classification error, showing the robustness of our approach over others in literature with minimal power consumption. The head location of the subject is also estimated by a novel approach capable of running on any resource limited platform with power constraints

Frequency dependent effective conductivity of two-dimensional metal-dielectric composites

We analyze a random resistor-inductor-capacitor $(RLC)$ lattice model of 2-dimensional metal-insulator composites. The results are compared with Bruggeman's and Landauer's Effective Medium Approximations where a discrepancy was observed for some frequency zones. Such a discrepancy is mainly caused by the strong conductivity fluctuations. Indeed, a two-branches distribution is observed for low frequencies. We show also by increasing the system size that at $p_c$ the so-called Drude peak vanishes; it increases for vanishing losses.Comment: 7 pages including all figures, accepted in Int. J. Mod. Phys.

Cold Positrons from Decaying Dark Matter

Many models of dark matter contain more than one new particle beyond those in the Standard Model. Often heavier particles decay into the lightest dark matter particle as the Universe evolves. Here we explore the possibilities that arise if one of the products in a (Heavy Particle) $\rightarrow$ (Dark Matter) decay is a positron, and the lifetime is shorter than the age of the Universe. The positrons cool down by scattering off the cosmic microwave background and eventually annihilate when they fall into Galactic potential wells. The resulting 511 keV flux not only places constraints on this class of models but might even be consistent with that observed by the INTEGRAL satellite.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figure

The effect of direct and indirect education on attitudes of parents of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder towards medication treatments

Background and aims: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood behavioral disorders causing hyperactivity, attention deficit and education decline among children. Regarding the importance of medication treatment, this study was performed to compare the effect of two methods (Direct and Indirect) of education of parents of children with ADHD on their attitudes about medication, treatment satisfaction and medication compliance. Methods: In this clinical trial study, eighty parents of children with ADHD, referred to child psychiatry clinic in Shahrekord were randomly assigned to direct and indirect education groups. The first group (direct education) was attended in groups four sessions. The second group was given education booklet with the same content. Participants were evaluated before and one month after education in terms of their attitudes to medication, treatment satisfaction and treatment compliance. Results: 61 parents of 81 participants continued the study. After intervention, the mean scores of attitudes about medication and satisfaction with treatment were significantly improved in the direct education group (P0.05). Both groups had significantly increased treatment compliance one month after education (P<0.001). Change of mean score attitudes to medication consumption at the end of the periods was significantly different in direct group compared to indirect education group (P<0.01). Conclusion: Direct education was more effective than indirect education on improvement of attitudes towards medication and increase in treatment satisfaction, and both methods resulted in increased medication compliance. Regarding the importance of medication treatment in this disorder, using results of this study can have significant influence on function of children with this disorder in family and school environment

Activity Recognition and Prediction in Real Homes

In this paper, we present work in progress on activity recognition and prediction in real homes using either binary sensor data or depth video data. We present our field trial and set-up for collecting and storing the data, our methods, and our current results. We compare the accuracy of predicting the next binary sensor event using probabilistic methods and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, include the time information to improve prediction accuracy, as well as predict both the next sensor event and its mean time of occurrence using one LSTM model. We investigate transfer learning between apartments and show that it is possible to pre-train the model with data from other apartments and achieve good accuracy in a new apartment straight away. In addition, we present preliminary results from activity recognition using low-resolution depth video data from seven apartments, and classify four activities - no movement, standing up, sitting down, and TV interaction - by using a relatively simple processing method where we apply an Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) filter to extract movements from the frames prior to feeding them to a convolutional LSTM network for the classification.Comment: 12 pages, Symposium of the Norwegian AI Society NAIS 201

An efficient two-parametric family with memory for nonlinear equations

A new two-parametric family of derivative-free iterative methods for solving nonlinear equations is presented. First, a new biparametric family without memory of optimal order four is proposed. The improvement of the convergence rate of this family is obtained by using two self-accelerating parameters. These varying parameters are calculated in each iterative step employing only information from the current and the previous iteration. The corresponding R-order is 7 and the efficiency index 7(1/3) = 1.913. Numerical examples and comparison with some existing derivative-free optimal eighth-order schemes are included to confirm the theoretical results. In addition, the dynamical behavior of the designed method is analyzed and shows the stability of the scheme.The second author wishes to thank the Islamic Azad University, Hamedan Branch, where the paper was written as a part of the research plan, for financial support.Cordero Barbero, A.; Lotfi, T.; Bakhtiari, P.; Torregrosa Sánchez, JR. (2015). An efficient two-parametric family with memory for nonlinear equations. Numerical Algorithms. 68(2):323-335. doi:10.1007/s11075-014-9846-8S323335682Kung, H.T., Traub, J.F.: Optimal order of one-point and multi-point iteration. J. Assoc. Comput. Math. 21, 643–651 (1974)Cordero, A., Hueso, J.L., Martínez, E., Torregrosa, J.R.: A new technique to obtain derivative-free optimal iterative methods for solving nonlinear equation. J. Comput. Appl. Math. 252, 95–102 (2013)Cordero, A., Torregrosa, J.R., Vassileva, M.P.: Pseudocomposition: a technique to design predictor-corrector methods for systems of nonlinear equations. Appl. Math. Comput. 218, 11496–11508 (2012)Džunić, J.: On efficient two-parameter methods for solving nonlinear equations. Numer. Algorithms. 63(3), 549–569 (2013)Džunić, J., Petković, M.S.: On generalized multipoint root-solvers with memory. J. Comput. Appl. Math. 236, 2909–2920 (2012)Petković, M.S., Neta, B., Petković, L.D., Džunić, J. (ed.).: Multipoint methods for solving nonlinear equations. Elsevier (2013)Sharma, J.R., Sharma, R.: A new family of modified Ostrowski’s methods with accelerated eighth order convergence. Numer. Algorithms 54, 445–458 (2010)Soleymani, F., Shateyi, S.: Two optimal eighth-order derivative-free classes of iterative methods. Abstr. Appl. Anal. 2012(318165), 14 (2012). doi: 10.1155/2012/318165Soleymani, F., Sharma, R., Li, X., Tohidi, E.: An optimized derivative-free form of the Potra-Pták methods. Math. Comput. Model. 56, 97–104 (2012)Thukral, R.: Eighth-order iterative methods without derivatives for solving nonlinear equations. ISRN Appl. Math. 2011(693787), 12 (2011). doi: 10.5402/2011/693787Traub, J.F.: Iterative Methods for the Solution of Equations. Prentice Hall, New York (1964)Wang, X., Džunić, J., Zhang, T.: On an efficient family of derivative free three-point methods for solving nonlinear equations. Appl. Math. Comput. 219, 1749–1760 (2012)Zheng, Q., Li, J., Huang, F.: An optimal Steffensen-type family for solving nonlinear equations. Appl. Math. Comput. 217, 9592–9597 (2011)Ortega, J.M., Rheinboldt, W.G. (ed.).: Iterative Solutions of Nonlinear Equations in Several Variables, Ed. Academic Press, New York (1970)Jay, I.O.: A note on Q-order of convergence. BIT Numer. Math. 41, 422–429 (2001)Blanchard, P.: Complex Analytic Dynamics on the Riemann Sphere. Bull. AMS 11(1), 85–141 (1984)Chicharro, F., Cordero, A., Torregrosa, J.R.: Drawing dynamical and parameters planes of iterative families and methods. arXiv: 1307.6705 [math.NA

Accuracy of working length determination with root ZX apex locator and radiography: An in vivo and ex vivo study

The purpose of this study was to clinically compare working length (WL) determination with root ZX apex locator and radiography, and then compare them with direct visualization method ex vivo. A total of 75 maxillary central and lateral incisors were selected. Working length determination was carried out using radiographic and electronic apex locator methods. Subsequently, the tooth under study was extracted and actual working length was determined directly under a stereomicroscope. Data were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed-rank, Spearman’s correlation coefficient and intra-class correlation tests. All the statistical analyses were set with a significance level of α = 0.05. The absolute measurement errors of the two methods were compared using Wilcoxon signed test, exhibiting no statistically significant difference in measurement errors between the two methods. Descriptive evaluation revealed that in 72% (n = 54) of the specimens, both methods had errors in the same direction and in 28% (n = 21) of the specimens, the two methods had errors in opposite directions. Intra-class correlation coefficient test demonstrated a high degree of agreement between the two methods. In conclusion, this study did not show any difference between radiography, root ZX and direct visualization in WL determination.Key words: Working length, electronic apex locator, root ZX, radiography

Electrically controllable multicolor cholesteric laser.

A new strategy to obtain multicolor lasing from cholesteric liquid crystals is presented. A four layer cell is prepared with three different cholesteric layers and a layer containing a photoluminescent dye. The three cholesteric mixtures are prepared so that their photonic band gaps are partially overlapped. Through this combination, two laser lines are obtained in the same spot under the pumping beam irradiation. Eventually, one of the laser lines can be switched off if an electric field is applied to the first or the last cholesteric layer